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

The elder eunuch slowly walked three steps in front of Li Bai and stopped. He looked down at the blood-soaked, weak figure on the ground, his eyes devoid of pity, only filled with cold scrutiny. He raised his right hand, the tip of his dark blue short sword pointing at Li Bai's throat; a gentle thrust would end this madman's life. He slightly turned his head, glancing out of the corner of his eye to consult the emperor on the high platform. Emperor Xuanzong stood by the railing, his hands behind his back, the morning breeze ruffling the hem of his bright yellow dragon robe. His gaze fell on Li Bai, then swept over the tightly closed palace doors, silent, as if weighing his options. The entire square suddenly fell silent, save for the increasingly loud, heart-pounding roar coming from the direction of the Xuandu Temple in the distance. Time seemed to stretch out at that moment.

Li Bai lay sprawled on the ground, blood still seeping from the wound on his right shoulder, warm liquid trickling through the cracks in the stone slab. He could smell the faint earthy scent of the sun-baked flagstones, mixed with the metallic rust of his own blood. The chilling cold from his left shoulder had spread throughout his arm, the bone-deep iciness making his teeth chatter. His vision was blurred; he could only make out a small patch of blood-stained stone texture and the tips of a pair of black official boots a few steps away.

He heard his own heartbeat, slow and heavy, like the drumbeat of someone on the verge of death.

They could also hear the rumbling from the Xuandu Temple in the distance. The sound grew closer and louder, as if something was awakening deep underground, banging its massive head against the cage that imprisoned it.

Then--

The world has changed.

First, there is light.

An indescribable, blinding bronze-colored light shot into the sky from the direction of Xuandu Temple, instantly tearing the morning sky apart. It was no longer the relatively stable pillar of light as before, but a torrent that suddenly expanded and spread, like an overturned bucket of paint, dyeing the entire eastern sky an eerie bronze color.

Wherever the light reached, the clouds were torn apart and evaporated, revealing a deep, chilling void beneath. The bronze halo tumbled and twisted in the sky, like boiling molten metal, constantly changing shape. Countless tiny, lightning-like lines spread out from the edge of the halo, crackling and popping.

Then came the sound.

The roar suddenly rose, transforming from a heart-pounding thud into a thunderous boom, and then into something more ancient and heavy, like the grinding of countless boulders or the turning of gears. The sound surged in from all directions, causing the stone slabs on the square to tremble slightly, making people's eardrums ache, and their hearts to feel as if they were being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand.

Finally, there was vibration.

The earth began to shake violently.

It wasn't the intermittent tremors of before, but a continuous, violent earthquake that seemed to threaten to overturn the entire city of Chang'an!

"boom--!"

At the edge of the square, a white marble railing, so thick it would take two people to encircle it, snapped with a crash as it swayed, shattering into several pieces on the ground. At the base of the high platform, a crack opened with a "crack," rapidly spreading upwards, sending pebbles raining down. In the center of the square, the bluestone pavement, like ice slabs trampled by giants, was cracked with numerous crisscrossing fissures, the widest reaching half a foot in width and seemingly bottomless, from which white, hot steam carrying the smell of sulfur billowed.

"The earth dragon has turned over! The earth dragon has turned over again!"

"Oh my god! Run!"

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

The Imperial Guard, which had barely managed to maintain order thanks to the "assassin," collapsed once more before the might of heaven and earth. Soldiers screamed in terror; some were knocked to the ground, some dropped their weapons and fled in panic, and some, trying to maintain formation, were knocked down by their comrades. Horses, startled, neighed and reared up, throwing their riders off their backs and charging wildly through the crowd.

On the high platform, Emperor Xuanzong swayed and nearly fell, but was caught by the quick-thinking Gao Lishi beside him. For the first time, the emperor's face turned pale. He gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles white, and looked up at the eastern sky.

Then, he saw it.

Everyone saw it.

In the center of that boiling bronze halo that covered half the sky, images began to emerge.

At first, the colors were blurry, shimmering patches, like reflections in water. But soon, the patches began to coalesce and take shape.

That's a building.

A building so huge it's unimaginable.

They possess an ancient and peculiar style, unlike any existing form from the Tang Dynasty. The massive, sloping trapezoidal bases are covered with dazzlingly intricate geometric patterns and hieroglyphs, which glow faintly in the bronze glow, as if possessing life. Above the bases are layers upon layers of equally patterned platforms and staircases, leading to even more magnificent and bizarre architectural structures—some resembling inverted giant bowls, their surfaces smooth as mirrors, reflecting distorted sunlight; others like a forest of countless bronze pillars, their shafts entwined with thick reliefs that look like vines or chains; still others are simply indescribable, illogical combinations of geometric shapes, slowly rotating in the void.

And among these buildings, huge shadows could be vaguely seen moving about.

The shadows were equally blurry, with only their general outlines discernible. Some resembled giant winged snakes, coiling above the buildings; others looked like multi-legged, segmented insects, slowly crawling up the steps; still others were simply wisps of ever-changing, luminous mist, within which countless eyes seemed to twinkle.

A mirage?

No.

No mirage possesses such vivid detail, such a heavy, almost overwhelming sense of reality. Nor is any mirage accompanied by such a violent earthquake and such a terrifying roar.

That's another world.

An ancient, mysterious, and terrifyingly powerful world is projecting its image onto the sky of the Tang Dynasty through some kind of rift.

The square was deathly silent.

Even the terrified screams disappeared.

Everyone craned their necks, mouths agape, eyes wide, staring at the incredible sight in the sky. Soldiers forgot to flee, eunuchs forgot to protect the emperor, and even the seasoned officials and veteran generals on the high platform were pale and stiff.

That was something beyond their comprehension.

It is a myth, a legend, something that exists only in the oldest books and folk tales... "the unknowable."

And in this deathly silence—

The four people closest to Li Bai—the elderly eunuch, the masked swordsman, and the two imperial guards—also paused their movements for an extremely brief moment.

The older eunuch's sword stopped less than an inch from Li Bai's throat. He instinctively looked up at the sky, and for the first time, shock, confusion, and even a hint of...fear appeared in his usually cold eyes. His hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

The masked swordsman maintained the posture of retracting his sword after swinging it, his eyes behind the bronze mask fixed on the phantom in the sky, and the veins on his hand holding the sword bulged, as if he was resisting some kind of invisible pressure.

The two eunuchs, who had been silently approaching, stopped. They looked up, their dark blue claws slightly open, their bodies taut like bows.

It's now!

In the midst of extreme pain and blurred consciousness, Li Bai's mind burst forth with a final glimmer of clarity.

The instinct for survival trumped everything.

He didn't know what he was seeing, nor did he care what it was. All he knew was that this was his only chance.

"Ugh—!"

A suppressed growl squeezed out from the depths of his throat as he poured the last bit of his true energy into his right hand.

His right hand's five fingers dug deeply into the cracks in the stone slab beneath him, his nails cracking and bleeding profusely.

Using the force of this pull, he forcibly twisted his body and, with his still-functioning left hand, grabbed the dimly lit Azure Lotus Sword that had fallen not far away!

The sword was cold to the touch.

But deep within the sword, that connection that bound him to life and death still remained.

"Blue Lotus..."

Li Bai's lips moved, and he uttered two words.

The next moment, the Azure Lotus Sword suddenly burst forth with unprecedented light!

That wasn't the cyan sword light from the previous battle, but a purer, more intense white light that seemed to burn everything! Within the light, the faint phantom of a lotus flower bloomed, its petals unfolding layer by layer, each petal edged with flowing golden patterns.

The light was so dazzling that it even briefly overshadowed the bronze glow in the sky, illuminating Li Bai's entire body within a three-zhang radius.

"What?!"

The older eunuch suddenly awoke, looked down, and met Li Bai's bloodshot eyes, which were filled with intense pain and determination.

"Blooming in full glory!"

Li Bai roared.

He couldn't stand up at all, so he could only lie on the ground, pouring all his weight, all his remaining strength, and even his burning life force into this sword, and then sweeping it out towards the elderly eunuch and the masked swordsman directly in front of him!

"Buzz—!"

The sword's cry sounded like a dragon's roar.

The white sword light transformed into a solid, crescent-shaped arc of light, sweeping across the ground! Wherever the arc passed, the bluestone slabs were neatly sliced ​​open, the cuts as smooth as mirrors. The fragments of stone were swept up by the sword energy, turning into countless sharp shards that shot forward along with the arc of light!

This was not a skillful sword move; it was a desperate strike, a final burst of brilliance squeezed out from the brink of despair.

The older eunuch's expression changed drastically. He was too close to dodge in time, so he could only cross his two swords in front of him to block. The dark blue sword light surged, creating a layer of ice-blue light curtain in front of him.

"boom!"

The white arc of light slammed into the light screen.

The icy blue light curtain trembled violently, emitting a cracking sound as it struggled under the strain, its surface instantly covered with cracks. The older eunuch groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his body propelled backward by the immense impact, sliding three zhang (approximately 10 meters) and carving two deep furrows in the ground.

The masked swordsman reacted slightly faster. The instant the arc of light touched his body, he raised his longsword, the blade gleaming with a bright blue light, and forcefully blocked the attack.

"clang--!"

The deafening clang of metal clashing together was deafening.

The blade bent violently, the masked swordsman's hand split open, blood gushing out, and he was thrown backward, each step leaving a deep footprint on the stone slab.

Just as the two were forced back, Li Bai reached into his robes with his left hand and pulled out everything that was left inside, without even looking at it, and threw it fiercely towards the two eunuch guards behind him!

Those were the few offensive talismans he had obtained in the secret realm of the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom—one "Exploding Flame Talisman," two "Sharp Gold Sword Qi Talismans," and a small packet of "Bewitching Powder" for self-defense, which he had almost forgotten about.

The moment the talisman left his hand, Li Bai used his last bit of divine power to detonate it.

"Boom! Hiss hiss hiss!"

The Exploding Flame Talisman exploded first, transforming into a crimson fireball about ten feet in diameter. A surge of intense heat erupted, instantly evaporating the dust in the air. Immediately afterward, two Sharp Gold Sword Qi Talismans shattered, transforming into dozens of fine, yet incredibly sharp, golden sword qi that weaved and shot through the fireball, emitting piercing shrieks. Meanwhile, the packet of Bewitching Powder instantly vaporized in the intense heat, turning into a colorless and odorless wisp of smoke that could cause dizziness and disrupted internal energy in those who inhaled it.

Fire, gold, smoke.

The three distinct forces mixed together, along with the "spiritual power" contained in the talisman itself, which was completely different from the martial arts true qi of the Tang Dynasty, instantly creating an extremely chaotic area behind Li Bai.

The scorching heat distorted the view, golden sword energy flew around erratically, and a bewitching mist spread out. Furthermore, a strange flow of spiritual energy surged in the area, interfering with all true energy and perception.

The two imperial guards who were about to pounce on him were caught off guard and crashed into the chaos.

"Be careful!"

One man roared, brandishing his dark blue claws in an attempt to disperse the fireball and sword energy, but the turbulent spiritual energy interfered with his internal energy circulation, causing his movements to falter slightly. A golden sword energy grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody mark. The other man inhaled a small amount of the bewitching smoke, immediately feeling dizzy and weak in the legs.

Although with their cultivation level, the hastily created chaos could not truly harm them, it was enough to keep them busy and forcibly halt their pursuit.

For Li Bai, this obstacle was the distance between life and death.

"Walk!"

He didn't even look at the result; the instant he threw everything, he slammed his left hand hard on the ground!

"Snap!"

The stone slab beneath them shattered.

Using the recoil from that blow, his broken body shot out like an arrow, skimming the ground, toward the western palace wall, opposite to Xuandu Temple!

The route he chose was the backup escape route he had planned in his mind when he observed the square earlier—there was a cluster of relatively low palace buildings there, with a complex network of alleyways, and it was far from the eastern side where the crowd was currently most chaotic.

The speed was incredibly fast.

The power gained from burning his life allowed him to temporarily forget the excruciating pain in his right shoulder, the chill in his left, and the tearing in his chest and abdomen. Like a gray shadow, he swept across the cracked square, passing through the gaps between the panicked and unresponsive imperial guards, and rushed towards the palace wall.

The wind whistled in my ears.

It carried the smells of dust, blood, and a strange, increasingly strong odor of sulfur and some kind of metallic corrosion coming from the direction of Xuandu Temple in the distance.

He could feel that the four powerful auras behind him locked onto him immediately after a brief period of confusion.

"Chase!"

The older eunuch's shrill voice rang out in exasperation, filled with the fury of being mocked.

"We can't let him get away!" The masked swordsman's voice was deep and cold.

The sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Four figures, like maggots clinging to a bone, relentlessly pursued them. They were faster and more powerful, and although they were momentarily slowed down, they quickly closed the distance.

Li Bai gritted his teeth, pushing his speed to the limit. Blood gushed from the wound on his right shoulder, leaving a broken red line in the air. His left arm grew heavier and heavier, a chilling aura spreading towards his heart, each breath accompanied by a sharp, icy pain.

can't stop.

Stopping means death.

He rushed to the west wall of the palace. There was a side gate for servants to enter and exit, but it was closed at the moment. However, there was a tall locust tree next to the gate, with lush branches and leaves that stretched out over the wall.

Without hesitation, Li Bai leaped up, tapping his toes twice on the tree trunk, using the momentum to propel himself upwards. He barely managed to grab the top of the wall with his left hand and flipped over with force!

"Splash—"

Several tiles from the top of the wall were knocked off and shattered on the ground.

His body vaulted over the wall and disappeared outside the palace walls.

Almost the instant he disappeared, the older eunuch appeared under the locust tree. He glanced at the wall, his face so dark it could drip water.

"Split up and chase him! He's badly wounded; he can't have gone far!" the elder eunuch ordered sternly. "You, go and mobilize the Imperial Guards to seal off all the nearby markets and streets! You, go and report to General Gao to request the deployment of 'Listening Guards'! The rest of you, follow me!"

"yes!"

The masked swordsman and one of the palace guards responded, and the three of them leaped over the palace wall simultaneously, chasing after the direction Li Bai had disappeared in. The other palace guard turned around and sped towards the high platform.

And at this moment, on the high platform.

Emperor Xuanzong remained standing there, gazing up at the sky.

The strange phenomenon in the sky, after reaching a certain peak, began to slowly shrink. The bronze halo that covered half of the sky receded towards the center like a receding tide, and the phantoms of the huge buildings and the outlines of the strange creatures within it gradually faded and blurred as the halo contracted, eventually dissipating into the newly revealed blue sky.

It was as if everything that had just happened was a collective illusion.

But the cracked ground in the square, the broken railings, the terrified crowd, and the lingering, faint smell of sulfur and rusting metal in the air all reminded everyone that it was not an illusion.

The earthquake stopped.

The world has returned to peace.

Only in the direction of Xuandu Temple, the towering pillar of light, though somewhat shrunken, still existed, only no longer spreading, standing quietly in the eastern sky like a giant bronze pillar connecting heaven and earth.

Emperor Xuanzong slowly lowered his head, his gaze falling on the direction of the western palace wall, where there was no one.

His face was expressionless, but his deep eyes swirled with an extremely complex light—surprise, shock, fear, contemplation, and a hint of… barely perceptible heat.

"Your Majesty..." Gao Lishi called softly from the side, his voice trembling slightly, "That sorcerer..."

"They've escaped," Emperor Xuanzong said calmly.

His gaze swept over the mess in the square, over the still-shaken officials and soldiers, and finally landed on the tightly closed door of the Qinzhengben Hall.

Inside the door was the imperial concubine he had just decided to bestow a title upon.

Outside the door stood the madman who, for her sake, dared to point his sword at the king, cause celestial phenomena, and ultimately escape from a desperate situation.

No, perhaps, it's not just madmen.

Emperor Xuanzong recalled the incredible sight in the sky, the white sword light that the madman unleashed at the end, which was completely different from the martial arts of the Tang Dynasty, and the strange talisman he threw that could create turbulent spiritual energy.

Shushan?

Xiling?

Sanxingdui?

Some extremely ancient and mysterious words flashed through his mind. They were fragments of information only mentioned in the most core secret texts of the royal family, about antiquity, about the divine, about... immortality.

His fingers unconsciously caressed the jade pendant at his waist.

"Issue my decree." Emperor Xuanzong's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Issue martial law throughout the city and search for the assassin Li Bai. I demand to see him alive or dead."

"Furthermore, I hereby summon the Director of the Imperial Observatory, the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, and... the two True Immortals, Zixiao and Qingming, from the Imperial Household Department, to come to the palace to see me immediately."

Gao Lishi trembled and bowed his head, replying, "As you command."

Emperor Xuanzong took one last look at the western sky, where all was calm again, as if nothing had happened.

But he knew that some things had changed.

The man named Li Bai, and the secrets he brought, are like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, destined to stir up unpredictable waves in this prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Meanwhile, in a narrow alleyway west of Chang'an City.

Li Bai leaned against the cold earthen wall, breathing heavily.

He escaped.

They escaped from the palace and from the encirclement of four masters.

But the cost was heavy.

The wound on his right shoulder reopened due to the strenuous exercise, and blood had soaked half of his clothes, dripping from the cuff and pooling on the ground. The chilling cold from his left shoulder had spread to his chest, each breath accompanied by the excruciating pain of icy shards rubbing against his lungs, and half of his body was almost numb. The internal injuries in his chest and abdomen were even more severe; he could feel his internal organs bleeding, his vision blurred, and his ears were ringing.

He barely managed to lift his head and look towards the alley entrance.

Sunlight streamed in from the alley entrance, illuminating the dust particles dancing in the air.

In the distance, the faint sounds of hurried footsteps, horses' hooves, and officers' shouts could be heard.

"Search! Search house to house!"

"The assassin is wounded; he can't have gone far!"

"Anyone found suspicious is to be killed without mercy!"

The pursuers are here.

Moreover, it was a city-wide manhunt.

Li Bai twitched the corner of his mouth, wanting to laugh, but coughed up a mouthful of black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.

He lowered his head, looking at his trembling, blood-stained left hand, which was still tightly gripping the Azure Lotus Sword, whose light had completely dimmed and whose blade even had tiny cracks.

The sword is here.

The person is still alive.

So, the journey must continue.

He took a deep breath—a movement that made his vision go black again—and then, using his sword for support, he shakily stood up.

He glanced at the direction of the alley entrance, then turned and staggered deeper into the alley.

The figure gradually disappeared into the shadows.

Behind him, in the distant eastern sky, the bronze pillar of light still stood silently, as if telling a forgotten, ancient, and terrifying secret.