C340 I Have Two Hands!
Yang Yinquan of the Taiyuan Sect felt the earth's vibrations beneath him as he moved swiftly, his form blurring like a flying shuttle.
Lih Baixiong's tempestuous life force clung to him like a persistent shadow, never ceasing to envelop him.
This Tusk Troops general ranked just below Shen Feiqing in the military hierarchy, a peak expert at the pinnacle of the Yin God Stage, seemingly a mere step away from embarking on a distant journey with the Yin God.
Despite Yang Yinquan's decade of rigorous cultivation on the Heavenly Source Continent, he had only recently begun to explore the Absence Relic and had already become acquainted with the infamous Lih Baixiong.
Legend had it that General Lih Baixiong harbored a deep affection for Army Commander Shen Feiqing, which fueled his unwavering loyalty.
Raised amidst relentless slaughter, Lih Baixiong had spent his early years in the Desolate Swamp, sustaining himself by hunting Demonic Beasts, his nature both cruel and bloodthirsty.
Even after being brought into the Divine Might Empire by Shen Feiqing, his savagery not only remained unchecked but grew even more pronounced.
Within the Empire, Lih Baixiong was the bane of many noble houses, personally orchestrating numerous dark and vicious deeds within the Tusk Troops.
Yang Yinquan, formidable as he was, dared not confront Lih Baixiong, who rode upon a Tusk Beast with an aura of unbridled ferocity.
Instead, he relied on the Taiyuan Sect's secret methods and his own cunning evasion techniques to keep his distance.
Then, quite unexpectedly,
Yang Yinquan's gaze fell upon a blank scroll suspended in the sky, fluttering in the wind.
With a puzzled expression, he observed the scroll, sensing the strange spatial fluctuations emanating from it, and felt a surge of astonishment.
From the blank canvas, a delicate figure in silver, her features indistinct and seemingly fragile, stepped out as if a specter, confronting Yang Yinquan directly.
Her garment was intricately adorned with the landscapes of the Profound Sky Continent's renowned mountains and rivers, a detailed tapestry in miniature.
"Greetings, Elder Yang," the woman in silver said, bowing respectfully.
Her voice was soft and melodious, a stark contrast to Shen Feiqing's gruff and husky tones.
In the instant she began to speak, Yang Yinquan, who had been intently observing the mountain and river patterns on her garment, was struck by a sudden recollection. Fear seized him, his soul nearly escaping as he cried out, "Your Majesty, the Silvermoon Queen!"
The woman in silver robes let out a soft laugh and gestured to the blank scroll behind her. "My apologies, Mr. Yang. This empty scroll requires souls to complete it," she explained.
Her delicate fingers danced in the air, tracing circles that materialized into shimmering silver rings, reminiscent of full moons. They were crafted from the purest spiritual energy, kneaded with extraordinary soul power.
Within mere seconds, nine radiant silver rings materialized from thin air.
For Yang Yinquan, escape was no longer an option.
The presence of the blank scroll had locked the space around him, rendering his Taiyuan Sect's escape techniques useless.
The nine silver rings encircled him like a constellation of moons.
Under their luminescence, Yang Yinquan was dissected, his flesh and bones separating and falling away.
As Yang Yinquan released his Yin God in an attempt to flee, the silver-robed woman pointed a finger at him.
The long-awaited blank scroll emerged, unfurling with a sudden pull.
A powerful suction emanated from within, drawing Yang Yinquan's Yin God into its depths. Like ink spreading on paper, a dim soul shadow emerged, writhing and struggling within the scroll.
The silver-robed woman smiled softly and turned to the figure standing behind her.
A lean man with graying temples and an air of nonchalance, wearing a rueful smile, bowed deeply. "Xiangtian pays his respects to the Empress."
Though her features were indistinct, the silver-robed woman exuded an aura of delight.
She seemed genuinely pleased to encounter Su Xiangtian in this place.
"Xiangtian, did you witness everything?" she inquired with a smile.
Su Xiangtian exhaled deeply, "Your Majesty, if you wish for me to have seen it, then I have. If not, I can easily feign ignorance."
"Is Taiyuan Sect the sanctuary you chose for Little Yan'er?" The silver-robed woman lightly tapped the silver ring responsible for Yang Yinquan's demise, transforming it into strands of silver thread. She twirled the threads around her pale finger, speaking at a measured pace, "I apologize; it wasn't my intention to do this, but I needed his soul."
Su Xiangtian locked eyes with her, pausing for several seconds before asking, "And what of mine?"
The woman in silver robes remained silent.
A bitter taste filled Su Xiangtian's mouth as his heart sank. "I see," he said with resignation.
Still, the silver-robed woman offered no response.
"I'm well aware that I'm no match for His Majesty. If he wishes for my death, not even the Yin God could offer me refuge," Su Xiangtian said with a laugh that held no joy. "All I want to know is why His Majesty is doing this. Is it for his own sake, for the Lee family, or for the empire?"
The silver-robed woman took the question seriously, pondering before answering, "Only when I am strong can the Lee family have something to depend on, and only then can the empire rise."
"So, you would ally with demons for this cause?" Su Xiangtian asked, his tone laced with scorn.
"Those who serve me are merely my servants; there's no question of alliance," the silver-robed woman replied with a smile. "Xiangtian, you are one of the people I value most. You and Su Yan, I have no intention of harming. Pretend you know nothing and leave the Absence Relic as soon as you can. Don't return to the country."
"Once this affair concludes, assess the new information you receive and the situation then, and make your decisions accordingly."
With those words, she departed gracefully.
Clutching the blank scroll, she seemed capable of short-distance spatial travel. One moment she was at the lake, gathering the lingering soul of Jiang Moyan, and the next, she had shifted to another location to collect the residual spirit of Zou Jin from the Cold Yin Sect, who had been slain by the White-robed Imperial Advisor.
Slowly, the scroll began to fill with an increasing number of shadowy figures.
"Your Majesty!"
A desperate plea echoed from a great distance, emanating from the scroll.
The voice belonged to Van Yan!
The silver-robed woman was taken aback, her soul's consciousness spreading like water, instantly traversing thousands of miles.
Beneath the floating island, Yu Yuan looked up, his gaze fixed on Van Yan as he bellowed furiously, "Die!"
His other hand, which had been empty from the start, now pointed towards the island suspended in the air.
The flesh on his exposed arm burst open, and a faint scarlet sword light, imbued with the power of space, coalesced into a formidable sword spell.
The sword spell, in harmony with his furious roar, moved to the rhythm of the sound!
A fiery scarlet sword light soared skyward like a blazing torch, piercing through the underside of the floating island and striking directly into Van Yan's body.
As Van Yan swung his eight-edged hammer, relentlessly striking at Yu Zhu, he inwardly called out "Your Majesty!" while amassing his sword intent, hoping for the Silvermoon Queen's aid.
He was aware that the Silvermoon Queen could hear his plea.
But it was already too late.
In the instant the scarlet sword light reached him, Van Yan, still rotating his hammer, exploded into a burst of flesh and blood.
Having not achieved the Yin God Stage, the disintegration of his body signified his death.
The Van family general, long steeped in wickedness, had not anticipated that Yu Yuan, fully engrossed in channeling the sword soul's power to assault the Asura of the Dark Domain, could still muster the energy to wield his other hand as a sword, delivering a lethal strike.
Van Yan perished with eyes wide open!
Lau Ying, pulled upward by the Fallen Star Eyes, was left gasping for breath and too frightened to descend.
As she harnessed the vast stellar energy to heal her battered body, she witnessed Yu Yuan's anguished cries, demanding Van Yan's death.
She had assumed Yu Yuan's screams were merely feeble, hollow gestures.
To her astonishment, in the very next moment, Yu Yuan, with his free hand, channeled a trace of sword intent and executed a sword spell.
With a single stroke, he slew Van Yan.
Lau Ying blinked in disbelief, and only when she was certain that Van Yan was truly dead did she allow herself a low chuckle. "Good riddance. Such a vile creature deserves to be utterly obliterated!"
Then, from below, she heard Yu Yuan's triumphant, wild laughter.
"With two hands, taking down Van Yan was as effortless as blowing away ash!"
