Responding to him was a spear aura extending three zhang, shattering the white lotus instantly.
Feng Bozhou spat another mouthful of blood as his body was thrown back.
Realizing his life was on the line, he gritted his teeth and revealed his true strength.
Fourth Dao Foundation, Fifth Dao Foundation, Sixth Dao Foundation!
Unleashing the full extent of his fourth-realm prowess, his backward momentum halted, and he floated in mid-air, his hair wildly flailing with the surge of mana.
Bang!
Feng Bozhou blocked Gu Wen's strike with a flick of his fingers, a white lotus phantom appearing. "I don't know who you are, but a mere three Dao Foundations are not enough to defeat me. Even with your martial dharma and holy spirit images, you are far from sufficient. I was once ranked ninth on the Human List."
Gu Wen paused slightly, intrigued by Feng Bozhou's six Dao Foundations.
He grinned, "How do you know it's not enough?"
The Zhaolie spear aura surged ten zhang high, the red dragon lowered its head, and the dharma form enveloped him.
In the realm of immortals, the stronger prevail.
Could he, with three Dao Foundations, kill someone with six?
Feng Bozhou's white lotus dharma form expanded, covering the sky for a thousand meters, pressing down.
He unleashed all his techniques, barely holding back from burning his life force, knowing he couldn’t afford to show mercy.
Otherwise, he might truly die here.
Although his opponent was a prodigious talent, there had to be a limit.
A red gleam flashed across the white lotus, piercing Feng Bozhou's body, leaving a fist-sized hole in his chest that aligned perfectly with the sun.
"This... impossible! How could you defeat me with three less Dao Foundations?" Feng Bozhou roared in near madness.
Facing death, he was like a cornered beast, his aura surging.
Gu Wen soared into the sky, sweeping him away with one strike, then thrusting his spear into Feng Bozhou’s body and slamming him into the ground.
Boom!
The earth trembled, dust rising into the air.
In his daze, Feng Bozhou saw Gu Wen slowly approaching, stepping on his handsome face, the mud staining it.
With one hand, Gu Wen pulled the heavy spear out, not to insult but to leverage his strength.
"Impossible... you're just at the third Dao Foundation..." Feng Bozhou muttered.
Gu Wen looked down at him, as if he were an insignificant insect, and said calmly, "You're just an ordinary person."
Although Feng Bozhou had six Dao Foundations, none were perfected.
His talent allowed him to reach six Dao Foundations but not to perfect even one.
Thus, Feng Bozhou was mediocre, a commonplace prodigy.
In contrast, Gu Wen had three Dao Foundations, but each was perfected, equating to six ordinary Dao Foundations.
His martial dharma form was stronger than the white lotus dharma form, and possessing the highest-grade Five Elements Spirit Image, he had five more spirit images than Feng Bozhou, bridging another Dao Foundation gap.
In a sense, they were evenly matched.
In such a balance, how could Feng Bozhou possibly defeat Gu Wen?
This is the meaning of becoming immortal—could a mere mediocrity achieve it?
Feng Bozhou froze, a memory surfacing from a thousand years ago.
Back then, he had been a young, spirited individual, also beaten to the ground by someone.
That figure in white, that chilling sword light, that unparalleled grace.
His name was Sword Sovereign.
With his last bit of strength, Feng Bozhou let out a crazed laugh, "Hahaha! It's unfair! So unfair! I've cultivated for a thousand years, yet I can't match a mere servant like you!" As soon as he finished speaking, his head was smashed to pieces by the hundred-pound spearhead, sending fragments of bone three meters away, red and white splattering all over the ground.
You finally said something worthy of dying for.
Gu Wen turned and walked away.
At the end of the street, countless armored soldiers surged forward.
On the street, one man with a spear stood tall, while citizens watched through doors, windows, and alleyway cracks, their eyes fixed on him.
Gu Wen charged into the masses, his spear raised high, blood spilling under the midday sun.
The road to Longqiao was filled with imperial guards, forming a barrier like a wall of bronze and iron, obstructing his path.
Qin Mian, a member of the imperial guards and previously stationed at Gu Wen’s estate, stood among them.
He watched as dismembered bodies flew through the air, the thick scent of blood filling his nostrils.
Numbly, he advanced, as if walking towards an inevitable death.
A figure, as dark and formidable as a demon, gradually appeared in his sight, while the number of his comrades ahead dwindled.
That figure was someone he used to protect, someone the palace had ordered him to monitor, the great merchant of Longqiao who often secretly aided the common people, and who greeted the guards warmly every morning—Gu Wen.
Surrounded by a thousand blades, spears, and halberds, and met with the terrified and angry glares of countless enemies, he moved with a light smile amidst the slaughter, strolling through pools of blood.
The former tranquility had vanished entirely, leaving only unmatched power, the courage to face thousands alone!
The men in front of Qin Mian were all dead.
He stood in the first row, surrounded by soldiers who thrust their spears forward.
In the next moment, the storm of spear auras shredded their bodies, clearing a space of ten steps.
He did not fight; he just stood there in a daze, which is why he survived.
Thud.
Qin Mian collapsed to the ground, and a familiar, calm voice reached his ears, as if it were a regular morning.
"Qin Mian."
Gu Wen placed his hand on Qin Mian’s shoulder, the blood from his hand instantly staining the armor red.
Seeing the guard who once ran errands for him now standing as his enemy, Gu Wen felt no guilt—each man was a product of his circumstances, forced by the situation.
Understanding others’ ordinariness, accepting their mediocrity, was a quality he possessed.
"Are you alright?"
Qin Mian looked up, his voice bitter, "Master Wen, are you an immortal?"
Gu Wen nodded slightly.
Amidst their conversation, his spear struck out, condensing his killing intent into sharp blades, and in an instant, heads fell like ripe fruit.
"Go to Nanshui. That ship leaves today."
Before Qin Mian could respond, he was thrown aside, landing heavily on the roof of a nearby shed, then tumbling into a pile of baskets.
Struggling to his feet, he heard Gu Wen’s voice from afar.
"The one who killed you all..."
Gu Wen stood high, spear raised, amidst the chaos of corpses.
"Gu Wen, remember the name on your journey to the Yellow Springs!"
With no illustrious name, it was Gu Wen who killed today.
Only he dared to take lives.
He could have bypassed the imperial guards, but he chose to cut through them, treading a path of corpses and blood.
Eventually, the imperial guards began to flee before even a third of them had died or been injured.
Gu Wen did not kill the deserters.
Dragging the corpse of Feng Bozhou, the second most powerful figure in Da Qian, he walked towards Longqiao.
On Longqiao, the ceremonial procession spread out from both sides.
The troops were arranged in layers: the infantry on the flanks, followed by the yellow-bannered guards, and then the charioteers and cavalry.
At the center of it all was Zhao Feng, riding a white horse, wearing a python robe, and exuding an air of imperial majesty.
He had completely recovered and had even reached the second Dao Foundation level almost overnight, thanks to pills that accelerated his cultivation.
His once stern father had suddenly allowed him to use these potent pills and had even personally refined one that surpassed the quality of the Condensation Dao Pill.
Not only had his foundation been restored, but he had also advanced to the second Dao Foundation level.
From the luxurious jade towers flanking Longqiao, he could sense countless scrutinizing gazes upon him, thanks to his enhanced Dao Foundation.
These gazes belonged to the worldly immortals who had gathered in Bianjing, a group of rebels and traitors threatening his family's rule.
As Zhao Feng passed by Qian Feng Lou, he tightened the gold-and-jade reins, causing his white horse to stop, halting the entire procession.
He looked up towards the highest point of Longqiao and called out, "I’ve heard that the Fox Immortal resides here. May I have the honor of meeting you?"
The surroundings fell silent.
The many worldly immortals were astonished that Zhao Feng dared to directly provoke Lu Chan, the Mirror Fox Immortal ranked sixth on the Earth List.
Even though she had recently been knocked down to sixth place by a prodigy named Hong Chen, it wasn't because Lu Chan was weak.
She had effortlessly suppressed the ninety-three below her, some of whom had even fallen out of the rankings entirely.
However, Hong Chen was simply too powerful, and Zhao Feng did not have the qualifications to challenge Lu Chan.
But then again, this was Bianjing, and his father was the Dao Emperor, which allowed him some arrogance.
As Zhao Feng awaited a response, the tension in the air grew thick.
The presence of the Dao Emperor gave him the confidence to be bold, but it was also a reminder of the precariousness of his newfound power.
The crowd watched with bated breath, curious to see how the Fox Immortal would respond to this direct challenge from the Crown Prince of Da Qian.