Deep within the imperial palace of the Great Zhen Dynasty.

In the pavilion of the Imperial Garden, two tall figures were playing chess. The old man in the middle had a withered face. He wore a golden robe and stood straight like a pillar supporting the sky. His double pupils exuded a terrifying pressure.

The dignified old man was the emperor of the Great Zhen Dynasty. Opposite him was a Taoist priest with white hair and a youthful face, wearing a loose white robe, surrounded by an aura of immortality, his figure appearing and disappearing in the mist.

The old Taoist in white robes is Yuan Tongtian, the leader of the Taoist Alliance.

The old emperor stared at the chessboard, his eyes dark and his face contorted with rage. "Old Yuan," he said, "do you think Heaven will still help us?"

Yuan Tongtian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. You must believe in the workings of Heaven."

The old emperor said in a hoarse voice, "My son cannot have died in vain. I will take revenge, destroy the Chu Kingdom and the Great Xia Dynasty, and then unify the Central Plains to become the ruler of the world."

"You?"

A cold voice echoed into the Imperial Garden.

The old emperor and Yuan Tongtian looked in the direction of the sound.

A beautiful figure suddenly appeared outside the pavilion. A purple mist enveloped her, obscuring her features even to the old emperor with his double pupils. "Who are you?" he asked.

Hua Ying's pretty face remained calm as she coldly said, "I am Hua Ying, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Xia Dynasty."

The palace was filled with experts, yet Hua Ying was able to easily arrive here. The old emperor frowned deeply, "Grand Preceptor of the Great Xia Dynasty, do you intend to assassinate me?"

Hua Ying said indifferently, "I was just passing by and decided to settle accounts with you."

"Settling accounts...heh..."

The old emperor stood up, his double pupils like dark black holes, distorting the surrounding space.

The purple light emanated from Hua Ying's beautiful eyes, and her overwhelming pressure was like the highest heaven. The old emperor's pupils shrank sharply, and his body seemed to turn to stone, making it difficult for him to even breathe.

Yuan Tongtian slowly stood up, staring at Hua Ying with a calm and collected expression. He smiled and asked, "You knew this was a trap, yet you still dared to come?"

"I've been involved in this whole life."

Flower shadows are fearless.

Yuan Tongtian raised his hand and formed a seal, and intricate golden patterns appeared on the ground around him. "This is an ancient killing formation, where countless cultivators have perished."

Hua Ying activated the fragments of the Heavenly Dao within her body, instantly causing the surrounding ground to crack and completely destroying the ancient array stones buried deep underground. The flowers and plants in the Imperial Garden instantly turned into nothingness.

In an instant.

The Imperial Garden was razed to the ground.

"The power of Heaven is indeed formidable."

Yuan Tongtian remained calm and composed. He opened his arms, and raindrops continued to fall from the sky.

Hua Ying discovered that an invisible curtain of rain had sealed off this space, and then the ground turned into quicksand.

Yuan Tongtian smiled and said, "It's over!"

The quicksand, like a ferocious beast with its jaws wide open, tried to devour Hua Ying. Hua Ying rose into the air, and the surrounding rain curtain began to shrink, then turned into a water ball that enveloped her. Next, the quicksand wrapped around her, and finally condensed into a statue.

The statue fell heavily to the ground.

The old emperor frowned deeply. He dared not be careless and asked in a deep voice, "Old Yuan, is she still alive?"

Yuan Tongtian said with a smile, "The Way of Water and the Way of Earth can only seal her. Without her power, the Chu Kingdom and the Great Xia Dynasty will be ours."

The old emperor laughed heartily: "Good!"

"well!"

A soft sigh was heard.

A young Taoist priest dressed in white appeared in the Imperial Garden. He carried a black umbrella, his white hair flowing, and he appeared otherworldly.

The old emperor looked at Qin Luo, who had suddenly appeared, and frowned, saying, "And who are you?"

"A lonely ghost."

Qin Luo said self-deprecatingly.

Hua Ying possesses the laws of time and space, and Qin Luo knows that she was deliberately sealed away.

"You're still so naive."

Qin Luo gazed at the statue of Hua Ying, which had a smiling face, as if it knew Qin Luo would appear.

Yuan Tongtian sized up Qin Luo, his eyes filled with admiration. "You must be Qin Luo from Longhu Temple. A wisp of remnant soul, yet you are like an immortal who has ascended to heaven. Truly remarkable."

Qin Luo smiled slightly, "A great calamity is approaching, and I don't want to cause any more trouble. I hope you will not act as accomplices to evil."

The old emperor pointed at Qin Luo and scolded, "Your actions against the will of Heaven are the greatest act of rebellion."

Yuan Tongtian said with a smile, "Master Qin, if you know what's good for you, you still have a chance to live. If you go against the will of Heaven, today is your death day."

Qin Luo shook his head and sighed softly, "Master Yuan, you have cultivated the Tao for many years, you should understand that although the Heavenly Dao is powerful, it is not the only one, and we are not its slaves."

Yuan Tongtian smiled and said, "Many years ago, I was just an unknown mortal. If it weren't for the favor of Heaven, I would have turned to dust long ago."

The old emperor said solemnly, "Back then, I was just a cowherd. It was the will of Heaven that made me the emperor of the Great Zhen Dynasty. Imperial power is divinely ordained, and I am the true ruler of the world."

Qin Luo said softly, "Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. The way of heaven should not favor one over the other."

The old emperor frowned.

Yuan Tongtian nodded, finding it reasonable. "Master Qin is right, but if Heaven bestows benefits upon us, should we betray Him?"

Qin Luo smiled and said, "My master often taught us to be down-to-earth. He often said that the Great Dao does not need to be cultivated. I did not understand this before, but now I am gradually understanding its true meaning. The Dao is everywhere and will not change because of our will. The Dao follows nature and does nothing yet accomplishes everything."

Yuan Tongtian's eyes shone with light. He cupped his hands in a fist salute and said with a smile, "Master Qin, our paths are different, yet you are still willing to discuss the Dao with me. I am truly grateful for your guidance."

The old emperor looked at them with a blank expression.

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