Chapter 503 "God of Fire"
Red Flame Holy Armor...Xu Zhenguan was not unfamiliar with this name.
Six hundred years ago, at the end of the dynasty, the world was in chaos. In addition, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the Western Regions hunted down Taoist sorcerers, causing many sects to quietly disappear.
Also lost in that period of history were many magical weapons and divine weapons.
"Legend has it that Zoroastrianism worships the 'God of Fire', and the sect's sacred relic is a piece of armor that acts as a talisman. By melting other talismans and magical treasures into it, the magic power within the armor can be continuously accumulated.
If Prince Heng could master this item, with the resources of Prince Heng's palace, he would be able to "feed" the Scarlet Flame Sacred Armor to an astonishing degree.
Even if Prince Heng's own cultivation is not high, with the help of this armor, he is enough to dominate the world." Ma Yan handed the memorial to a female official, who then presented it to the empress.
Xu Zhenguan picked up the memorial with his delicate fingers, unfolded it expressionlessly, scanned the words, was silent for a moment, raised his head again, closed the memorial, and glanced at the ministers:
"So, what do you think?"
Yuan Li bowed and said seriously:
"According to the time, the Shenji Battalion has probably arrived at the front line. With the combined strength of Shenji and the Second Battalion of the Fifth Army, it won't be difficult to gain a foothold. However, if we want to swallow the Qingzhou rebels, I'm afraid it will be difficult.
We believe that we should dispatch skilled generals to provide support and bring back Zhao Shaobao... We should proceed with caution."
The other ministers remained silent and tacitly agreed to the proposal.
Xu Zhenguan remained silent and looked deeply at several military officials of the Privy Council.
She understood that the Red Flame Holy Armor was just an excuse. The key point was that these ministers were not confident in sending Zhao Duan to quell the rebellion.
The first battle after her return is particularly crucial, and she can only win and not lose.
The military officials of the Privy Council were the first to be reluctant to hand over this crucial battle to Zhao Duan, who had never led an army before.
It's not just a question of Zhao Duan's ability to lead troops, but a deeper fear of "falling out of favor".
The Li Party rebelled, and two commanders of the imperial guards defected. The Privy Council, as the general office of the imperial army, must bear responsibility.
Coincidentally, when suppressing a rebellion, the empress bypassed the Privy Council generals and only trusted Zhao Duan.
This action itself represents many layers of meaning.
Therefore, in today's small court meeting, Yuan Li, as a civil official who was pushed forward, actually represents the interests of the military officials in the court.
"I already know what you are thinking," Xu Zhenguan took in everyone's expressions, threw the memorial away calmly, and said lightly:
"I am the Son of Heaven, and my words are golden. How can I change my generals at will? The battle of Qingzhou has been handed over to Lord Zhao for disposal, so you gentlemen do not need to raise any further issues."
Everyone's color changed slightly, and the military officers of the Privy Council looked up in astonishment. They did not expect the Empress' response to be so decisive and not allow any questioning.
——After His Majesty returned from Fengshan, his style of doing things became more iron-fisted.
This thought arose in everyone's mind.
"As for the armor held by Prince Heng," Xu Zhenguan paused for a moment, his lips curled up slightly, "I believe that Zhao Qing has his own way to deal with it."
The Red Flame Holy Armor corresponds to the "God of Fire" and is indeed dangerous, but the empress already knew on her escape that Zhao Duan holds the "Black Turtle Seal" corresponding to the "God of Water".
…
…
"Prince Heng, where are you going?"
On the official road, Zhao Duan sat astride his warhorse, his eyes narrowed, fixed firmly on King Heng who was driving in front.
Behind him, an entire team of elite soldiers from the Shenji Camp raised their muskets at the same time, blocking every possible direction for King Heng to escape.
As long as Zhao Duan gives the order, it can be beaten into a sieve.
"Zhao...Du'an!" A drop of cold sweat broke out on King Heng's forehead, and he read out the name with resentment in his eyes.
His body deftly shrunk into most of the carriage.
Zhao Duan looked down at the King of Qingzhou with a strange look in his eyes:
"It's true, but it's really strange. The battle is still going on up ahead, and the Qingzhou rebels haven't surrendered yet. Why did the prince flee first?"
He was very surprised!
When Zhao Duan led his men to attack the camp from behind and prepare to capture King Heng alive, all he saw were a few fallen corpses in the rear tent.
Fortunately, although King Heng was also a martial artist, his strength was weaker than Zhao Duan, who was in the secular realm. So with the help of the "Mirror of Wind and Moon", he was able to barely lock onto his whereabouts, catch up with the carriage on a fast horse, and intercept him here.
King Heng gasped heavily, almost shrinking in the carriage, and roared:
"Zhao Duan! Look who this is?"
As he spoke, he used one hand to pull Madam Xiao out of the carriage and blocked her in front of him, with the bloody blade against Madam Xiao's fair neck.
"Ah——" Xiao Dong'er was dizzy from the shaking and was suddenly grabbed out, screaming in surprise.
When she saw Zhao Duan clearly in front of her, the female head of the Xiao family in Donghu, who was also the number one imperial merchant under the court's new policy, was stunned. Her eyes widened in disbelief, as if she understood something:
Was it Lord Zhao who led the troops and defeated the Qingzhou army?
But according to rumors, didn't he disappear with the Empress? Could it be...
Zhao Duan also showed a surprised expression:
"Your Highness is quite elegant. When he fled, he didn't even take a single soldier or personal guard with him, but he brought Madam Xiao with him. It seems the Xiao family of East Lake is more important than I expected."
Prince Heng, who was dressed as a coachman in green clothes, lived a life of luxury and had fair skin. He gasped violently and sneered:
"Stop changing the subject! Zhao Duan, leave immediately, or I will ruthlessly destroy this beautiful woman! You don't want your lover to die here, do you?"
No, how can you slander people out of thin air?
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, then his nerves tensed up, thinking to himself: This old thief is trying to trick me!
Mrs. Xiao, who was being held hostage, was also stunned for a moment, then suddenly reacted and cursed:
"I am a fallen woman, and have never done anything inappropriate with Lord Zhao. Xu Heng, stop slandering me!"
The Qingzhou King, whose name is just Heng, looked disdainful:
"Who doesn't know that you, a bitch, first came to the capital and hooked up with a man named Zhao, which is how you got the title of imperial merchant? What did you two do when you met at the small roasting oven? You know it yourself."
After the meeting at Huting, Prince Heng's Mansion took great pains to investigate the "entire collusion" between the Xiao family and the court, and learned this clue.
Being thrown out in public at this moment, Zhao Duan felt his scalp tingling. His reputation was damaged. He didn't expect that this old villain could be so insidious.
Glancing around, he saw the cavalrymen of the Shenji Camp lowering their eyes tacitly, as if they had heard nothing.
Oh no, if Xiao Dong'er really died here, there would be no evidence against her, and this blame would be impossible to wash away... Zhao Duan took a deep breath, his eyes turned cold, he turned over and got off the horse, and with a "clang" sound, the sword was unsheathed, and the scabbard stabbed into the ground, sinking three inches.
Zhao Duan stepped forward with a knife in hand, his eyes glaring:
"Do you think this woman can save your life? I've heard that King Heng of Qingzhou is ambitious but incompetent, but I never expected him to be so foolish. You can kill her and see which is faster, your sword or mine."
At both ends of the official road, cavalry and carriages faced each other from a distance.
Zhao Duan walked forward with a knife in hand, approaching the carriage step by step.
"Don't come over, if you come any closer, I will kill her." King Heng was timid on the inside, showing a look of fear and shouting continuously. The blade cut through Madam Xiao's white neck, and a line of blood appeared.
Zhao Duan did not stop and kept getting closer.
Xiao Dong'er felt the sharp blade cutting into her throat and closed her eyes in despair. At the moment of death, the first half of her life flashed by like a kaleidoscope.
But the next second, the expected death did not come. She only felt that a big hand threw her back into the car.
"Ah..." Xiao Dong'er opened her eyelids. The last scene before the curtain fell was that the originally "cowardly and fearful" King Heng suddenly smiled.
It was as if all the disguises and deceptions were revealed at this moment.
"Zhao Duan, you can't get away!"
King Heng smiled defiantly, raised his hand and grabbed, tearing the grey clothes on his body into pieces!
The clothes were torn, revealing an old half-body armor underneath. It was dark red in color and had a black face mark pattern on the chest.
At the same time, wisps of red flames gushed out from the cracks in the half-armor, like a broken dam on a river bank. The red flames flowed freely like magma at an extremely fast speed.
In the blink of an eye, layers of fire spread along the shaft of the carriage, the ground, and the surrounding soil, rocks, and vegetation, making Xu Heng look like an ancient fire god, majestic, domineering, cold and powerful.
The spreading flames covered a circular area around the carriage. If you looked down from the sky, it looked like the area had turned into a sea of fire.
The edge of the sea of fire was as neat as if cut by a knife, releasing twisted heat waves, as if isolating the sea of fire from the outside world and turning it into an independent restricted area.
And Zhao Duan happened to be in the restricted area of the sea of fire!
Zhao Duan saw flames covering the ground and heat waves rolling around him, and his pupils suddenly narrowed.
Almost instinctively, wisps of energy gushed out from the pores all over his body, covering his clothes. The energy shielded the flames and heat waves. Even so, a corner of his robe was still burnt to ashes!
"An ancient talisman?!" Zhao Duan's eyes narrowed, and his gaze fell on the half-body armor on King Heng's body.
Xu Heng was wearing the red flame holy armor, and his entire body was almost covered by a thin layer of flames. Even his eyebrows and hair were dyed red, and he looked like a completely different person.
A powerful aura rose from his body and spread around, making Zhao Duan instinctively feel a powerful threat!
The worldly realm!
With just this ancient amulet, King Heng briefly possessed a power that was close to the highest level in the world! Moreover, the blazing aura was still rising!
“Sir!?” Outside the flame area, the cavalrymen of the Shenji Camp were horrified. Some tried to ride forward, but when they reached the edge of the flame, they were forced back by the scorching air waves.
A soldier accidentally rushed forward and even the hair of his horse, as well as his own hair and eyebrows, were instantly burned to ashes. He screamed and fell off his horse due to the burns.
This area was artificially separated into a battlefield exclusively for Zhao Duan and King Heng.
Oops!
As expected, every prince who dared to rebel had an unknown trump card, such as the terrifying background of the royal palace... Zhao Duan did not dare to be careless, and was extremely alert, but did not summon Pei Niannu to come.
At his current level, if he were to control Pei Niannu and himself at the same time, his internal energy would be severely depleted. If he could not eliminate King Heng in a short time, he would fall into the dilemma of exhaustion.
No one knows whether this guy's armor can withstand the combined efforts of Pei Niannu and me. If it can, I will easily capsize...
It would be better to be cautious and find out the situation first, and then make a choice whether to fight or retreat... Zhao Duan thought secretly in his heart.
The sharp blade of the sword he got from Li Yanfu slashed diagonally in his hand, and the flames on the ground were suddenly torn into a thin line without fire.
feasible!
Zhao Duan's eyes lit up, he sank his Qi into his Dantian, pumped the Qi in his body into the blade, and the blade slashed out.
"Bang!!"
The distorted heat wave exploded into clusters of air currents, and chaotic sword energy shot towards King Heng.
At the same time, the soldiers of the Shenji Camp who were isolated outside also pulled the triggers. Amidst the sound of explosions, iron bullets penetrated the heat wave and covered King Heng!
People cannot enter a sea of fire, but guns can.
However, King Heng, who was as majestic as the God of Fire, stepped down from the carriage and just half-knelt down, pressed his hands on the ground, and a wall of flames rose up.
The iron bullets, forged from the Firearms Bureau's refined steel, embedded themselves in the wall of fire, hovering in the air, spinning at a frantic speed, yet unable to advance even an inch. They were quickly melted into black iron liquid by the intense heat.
"Firearms... are just trifles." King Heng sneered and looked down upon the soldiers of the Shenji Camp outside.
He raised his right hand covered in flames, and with a whoosh, blazing flames spurted out from his palm, condensing into a long sword with a blue-white center and bright yellow outer flames.
Wisps of flames kept dripping from the narrow blade, and after falling to the ground, they merged into the sea of fire, leaving only a wisp of white smoke.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
King Heng swung the flaming sword in his hand, and the sword energy shot out for several feet, extinguishing all the sword energy released by Zhao Duan.
At this moment, the wall of fire that blocked the bullets was suddenly split in the middle, and Zhao Duan emerged from the crack. His body was as fast as lightning, and his sword shook off flames. In an instant, it collided with King Heng's long sword.
The mysterious Suppressing Sword and the Flame Sword were in a stalemate for half a breath, and then the latter shattered, and King Heng's waist was also cut in half by Zhao Duan's sword.
However, he did not relax at all, because the King Heng, who was cut into two pieces, had a smile on his face, and gradually disintegrated into sparks in the sky and disappeared.
Behind Zhao Duan, a few feet away, a burst of flames exploded in the sea of fire, and King Heng walked out of it intact, with an arrogant look on his face:
"From the moment you step within ten feet of me, your life or death is no longer in your hands."
As soon as he finished speaking, King Heng threw the long sword in his hand fiercely!
"boom--"
Zhao Duan turned around hastily, holding the sword in both hands, and split the thrown long sword into two pieces. After the long sword shattered, it exploded into a ball of hot bright yellow flame!
With a loud bang, Zhao Duan flew back as if he was hit by a bombardment, and the sea of fire under the feet of the two men followed him like a shadow, moving with his retreat, making it impossible for him to leave the area.
"Don't waste your energy. You can't get out."
King Heng laughed triumphantly, standing in the sea of fire, like a god dominating the world.
He kept grabbing flaming spears with his hands and throwing them at Zhao Duan. The spears exploded, creating small mushroom clouds.
Prince Heng looked down at Zhao Duan, who was fleeing in panic after being bombed, and laughed wildly:
"Do you really think you can defeat me? How can you be so sure that I didn't deliberately lure you here by escaping the camp alone? If I really wanted to escape, why would I choose to drive a horse instead of a faster one?"
King Heng was full of pride and confidence in victory. With the help of the Red Flame Holy Armor, he used the magic of the God of Fire to unleash it without any cost.
At the same time, he kept spewing trash talk and taunting Zhao Duan to attract him to face off.
However, Zhao Duan ignored his words and just circled around the edge of the sea of fire, dodging the bombing in a panic while observing calmly with his eyes.
Quickly came to the conclusion:
"King Heng's true form is not what I have seen. He is hiding somewhere in this sea of fire with the help of fire escape."
"Before the magic power of this half-body armor is exhausted, I can't find him, nor can I break through this sea of fire. However, these flames are constantly consuming my internal energy and even burning my soul!"
Zhao Duan could clearly sense that the rate at which his internal energy was being consumed was alarming, and his internal strength was burning like a candle, getting shorter and shorter.
The scorching air waves penetrated his mouth and nose. In his sea of consciousness, the green lotus and the jade leaf obtained from the real person Guhuo overlapped, resisting and maintaining his clear mind.
If this continues, he won't be able to escape and will be burned to death here!
Where did this bug-like charm come from? It doesn't make any sense!
While Zhao Duan was cursing in his heart, he suddenly stopped and said coldly to King Heng:
"Gongshu Tianyuan once told me that breaking the talisman is very simple. All we need to do is shut down the magical instrument. So, as long as I can find your hidden true self, this formation will collapse on its own."
As he spoke, the official robe on Zhao Duan suddenly turned dark red.
His long hair fell down in disarray, one of his eyes suddenly turned into pure silver, while the other remained clear. His temperament suddenly changed, and a touch of feminine softness appeared in his masculine nature.
"Senior Pei, please help me." Zhao Duan whispered to himself.
Letting go of the control of his body, at the same time, Zhao Duan's silver pupils revealed a strange cold light. He raised the arm lent to Pei Niannu, holding a dark ancient seal in his palm.
At this moment, in full view of everyone, the Black Turtle Seal slowly rotated.
"Water God, come!"
——
I’m heartbroken. Damn it. I was rejected the day before New Year’s Eve. I can’t have a good year this year.
(End of this chapter)
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