Chapter 882: The Emperor's Sword

Bi Linglong looked bewildered, unable to understand what he was doing. He had asked who was the most powerful, then declared himself to be that person. What was the meaning of that? Could the other party really be frightened by such a statement?

Mi Li was also somewhat confused, but having been with Zu An for so long that there were almost no secrets between them, she immediately recalled his "Sword Come" ability.

She was greatly alarmed. Although the "Sword Come" ability allowed words to manifest, its side effects were significant. With his current spiritual power, he couldn't use it frequently, and it was only suitable for minor or moderate tasks.

Yet, he was directly transforming into Qin Shihuang. Even if he managed to kill Xu Fu, he would not escape the inevitable backlash.

He might even be obliterated from the very beginning...

She wanted to intervene, but it seemed he had already fully activated the ability. Her expression complicated as she realized he could have left moments ago. He must have done this to prevent her from self-detonating her soul. But didn't he know that they had a life-and-death pact? If he died, she wouldn't survive either.

However, she quickly found peace with the idea. Dying together like this wouldn't be so bad; at least it would be a grand and memorable end.

Xu Fu, facing him, was startled at first, then burst into laughter. "Are you mad, or am I? Do you truly believe you can become Qin Shihuang just by saying so?"

Zu An did not reply, but simply stared at him with a cold gaze.

Xu Fu was about to mock him further when his expression suddenly changed. He had sensed a shift in the other's aura.

With a loud bang, a massive sound suddenly erupted from nearby. Everyone instinctively turned to look, witnessing the lid of the coffin beneath the five-colored tree violently flying open, as if it had been kicked off.

Xu Fu frowned, looking in that direction with a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

A faint soul body flew out from within. Mi Li's eyes instantly widened; although the figure was blurry, she could vaguely discern that it was the form of Qin Shihuang from long ago.

Xu Fu dared not be careless. He swiftly waved his hand, and several tentacles erupted from the blood pool, grasping at the soul body.

Even if it was Qin Shihuang's soul, what of it? His grand formation inherently possessed a powerful suppressive effect on spirits. It would instantly show that soul what it meant to be utterly annihilated.

To his surprise, though the tentacles clearly ensnared the soul body, it appeared intangible, allowing the blood-red tendrils to pass directly through it. The soul quickly moved to Zu An's side and entered his body.

What was happening?

Xu Fu was utterly baffled. He vaguely sensed a higher-level law breaking through the natural order of this realm.

Zu An reopened his eyes. Gone was his usual playful, unrestrained demeanor; in its place was a tyrannical aura of oppressive might.

"Xu Fu!" Zu An spoke, his voice profoundly different from his usual tone.

Bi Linglong instinctively distanced herself slightly. Although his appearance hadn't changed, she felt an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity.

She had always considered Zu An too flippant and unserious, but now, seeing this dignified and composed figure, she suddenly preferred his former self.

Mi Li also gazed at him with a complex expression, for the person before her mirrored the demeanor and tone of that man from years past.

Xu Fu's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back. But he immediately felt ashamed of his fear. Why should he be afraid of him now?

He stabilized himself, straightened his posture, and looked directly at the other person. "Qin Shihuang?"

"How audacious," Zu An said coldly. "How dare you address me by my given name."

Xu Fu laughed heartily. "Do you still imagine yourself to be the Qin Shihuang who once unified the land? Wake up; times have changed."

Zu An frowned, turning his head to survey his surroundings as if recalling something. His expression froze when he saw Mi Li. "Empress, you are here too?"

Mi Li snorted coldly. "What, you didn't expect me to be free from the seal, did you? Although I hated you for sealing me in the past, I also always admired you. But now, to discover you were betrayed by your subordinates and led to eternal damnation—frankly, I despise you."

Hearing her speak to him in such a manner, a flicker of anger crossed Zu An's brow. Yet, he seemed to recall something and did not direct his wrath at Mi Li. Instead, he abruptly turned to Xu Fu, his gaze like that of a ferocious tiger choosing its prey.

Xu Fu also regained his composure. "I never imagined that boy would possess such a secret art to summon your soul."

"Soul summoning?" Bi Linglong finally understood. So Zu An had summoned Qin Shihuang's soul. She had been terrified, thinking he had completely transformed.

Only Mi Li knew that it wasn't precisely "soul summoning," though in a certain sense, it was not far from it.

Zu An looked at him as if he were an ant. "Speak, have you decided how you wish to die?"

"Do you think I'll be terrified and beg for your mercy after hearing that?" Xu Fu spoke as if he had heard a joke. "If it were back then, I certainly would be afraid, but now..."

He paused, his voice turning colder. "In that battle long ago, although we suffered heavy losses, you were utterly destroyed, body and soul. Fearing I would use you to activate this grand formation after your death, you even deliberately destroyed your pure Yang body, and your soul vanished into thin air."

At this point, he couldn't help but frown. He had personally verified that Qin Shihuang's soul had indeed been scattered after that great battle. So what was this remnant soul doing here now?

However, considering his own vastly increased power, he didn't dwell on such details. "You are merely a wisp of a remnant soul, temporarily possessing someone else's body. Your power is less than a tenth of what it was at your peak. I don't know where you find the audacity to speak to me like this."

"You seem quite confident," Zu An said mockingly. "Are you certain I cannot harm you?"

Xu Fu stood with his hands clasped behind his back and declared proudly, "Am I not?"

"Indeed, I was deceived by you back then," Zu An began, glancing at Mi Li, who promptly turned her face away. He continued, "But I later realized something was amiss, so I sealed the Empress in advance. I also left half of my legacy in that sealed place, waiting for a fated individual, guiding him to Xiquanqiu. This was precisely so that, should any unexpected events occur, he could come and assist me in the future."

Mi Li suddenly understood. No wonder there were so many trials and arrangements there, and why that wisp of remnant soul had urged Zu An to find Xiquanqiu as soon as possible.

The perils here meant that an ordinary person receiving the legacy would find it useless. Only someone like Zu An could defy fate and change destiny. Unfortunately, what he lacked most was time to grow.

Xu Fu also clearly saw this. He laughed heartily, "Too bad the fated person you've been waiting for isn't very powerful."

After battling for so long, how could he not see that Zu An had cultivated the "Primordial Chaos Scripture"? But what good was that?

He didn't want to waste any more time. Spreading his hands, he caused the entire blood pool to boil, and countless blood-red tentacles erupted from behind him. "I could force you to your death back then, and naturally, I can kill you a second time now."

With his movement, the entire space was tinged with a layer of crimson, and the terrifying pressure made it difficult for someone of Bi Linglong's cultivation to even breathe.

At this moment, Zu An seemed oblivious to Xu Fu's actions. "His cultivation is considerably lower than I anticipated," he stated, "but it is barely sufficient."

As he finished speaking, he extended his hand to the side. "Sword, come!"

The Tai'a sword, which had been knocked down and stuck in the ground, hummed, then with a whoosh, it transformed into a streak of light and flew into his hand.

Xu Fu's pupils constricted slightly, but he still didn't pay much attention. "The Tai'a sword is still here, but not the Qin Shihuang of yesteryear," he scoffed. "Your current cultivation is far inferior to what it was then. Holding one Tai'a won't help you, let alone ten."

Zu An reached out and gently stroked the Tai'a sword's blade, his expression as if reminiscing with an old companion. "You only wield the sword of the common man, capable of decapitating heads, piercing vital organs, and causing blood to flow three feet. Naturally, you cannot comprehend the power of this Son of Heaven's Sword."

"The Son of Heaven's Sword cleaves the floating clouds above and cuts through the earth's foundations below. Once this sword is unsheathed, all feudal lords will come from the west, and the world will submit."

As his fingers traced its surface, the trembling hum of the Tai'a sword grew louder and louder—a sound of joyous exhilaration.

He raised the sword high, its blade radiating dazzling light. "Why settle to be a ghost in the underworld? Shake off the dust and shock the world. Soldiers of Great Qin, heed my command!"