CHAPTER 556: CHAPTER 540: BOOK SAGE_1

"HUFF. HUFF..."

On the bloody battlefield, Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong gasped for breath. They glanced at each other, and upon seeing their opponent’s battered and bruised face, they burst into hearty laughter.

They had survived!

This was the closest they had ever come to death since their birth!

"We won!"

"Fantastic! We’ve won!"

In Star City, countless Qin soldiers, their faces etched with worry, began to cheer. Some waved their weapons, others hugged each other, their shouts as tumultuous as mountains roaring and seas surging in response.

Their General had won!

They had once again defeated the powerful enemy army!

"This..."

Contrary to the Qin army’s jubilation, the disciples of Beidou Palace fell into endless panic. Their bodies trembled, their faces pale and utterly devoid of color.

Tianshu Star Lord was dead!

Tian Quan Star Lord was dead!

Yao Guang Star Lord was dead!

The Fortune that Beidou Palace had accumulated over countless eons had been utterly depleted.

Could they still win?

Tianshu Xingzun, Tianji Star Lord, Yuheng Star Lord, and Yao Guang Star Lord staggered, their eyes filled with despair, now mingled with a trace of confusion.

Why would the Fortune accumulated by Beidou Palace over countless eons be consumed in an instant? This was clearly illogical!

But at that moment, they had no leisure to ponder the reason for their vanishing Fortune, because Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong, weapons in hand, were closing in step by step.

With every step they took, the blood-soaked Evil Qi between heaven and earth grew more concentrated!

"What do we do?" Tianji Star Lord asked, his voice trembling.

"Fight!" Tianshu Xingzun declared, steadying his nerves, his voice laced with killing intent. "They are all severely injured. I refuse to believe they still have the strength to fight!" His war sword danced, transforming into a field of stars, drawing upon the power of stars from beyond the heavens as he suddenly thrust forward.

Yuheng Star Lord and Kaiyang Star Lord remained silent, their bodies enveloped in the brilliant Power of Laws of the stars, as they too launched their attacks.

"So be it! One last battle!" Tianji Star Lord sighed, his gaze as firm as a mountain, as he unleashed a sword strike.

"Demon Serpent Shatters the Heavens!" Zhang Fei roared, his terrifying battle intent surging skyward. He paid no heed to his injuries; as long as his blood had not run dry, as long as he drew breath, he would fight on.

Billowing, blood-red killing intent erupted from his body, staining the Void an even deeper crimson, as if he had slaughtered billions of beings and reaped the lives of tens of thousands of Immortals and demons.

He took a step forward, thrusting out his ’Serpent Spear’ with all his might. It formed a ten-thousand-foot serpent shadow that streaked across the cosmos, lunging towards Tianshu Xingzun.

With a flick of the serpent’s tail, the very heavens shattered!

Heaven and Earth plunged into annihilation!

BOOM!

Tianshu Xingzun’s expression changed drastically. He felt his Sword Qi, upon colliding with the serpent’s shadow, was as fragile as an egg striking a stone, instantly torn apart.

An unparalleled, immense force crashed into him, spreading throughout his entire body.

"No!" Tianshu Xingzun shrieked, his eyes wide with terror.

At this moment, he finally comprehended the terror of a Qin General. Even severely wounded, even with his Spiritual Energy nearly depleted, such a being was still an existence he could not afford to provoke.

And the consequence of provocation was death!

BOOM!

Another cloud of blood mist blossomed between heaven and earth.

In the moments that followed, three more agonizing screams tore through the skies above the City of Stars, striking terror, despair, and dread into all who heard them.

Each scream signified the fall of a powerhouse at the Ten-thousand-year Emperor Realm!

"KILL!" Standing upon the still-warm imperial corpses, Zhang Fei raised his ’Serpent Spear’ high and roared in fury.

This thunderous shout shattered the heavens.

It was the cry of a victor!

It was the battle cry of a blood-drenched General!

"KILL! KILL! KILL!"

The soldiers of the four Qin armies roared, their eyes bloodshot, like wolves and tigers, as they began to hunt down the Beidou Palace disciples.

Bloody weapons danced in the air amid overwhelming crimson light. Countless corpses were strewn about, limbs severed and scattered. Thick, fresh blood flowed down slopes, pooling in low-lying areas to form crimson tarns.

An even denser Evil Qi surged upwards, gathering low in the sky. It was clearly visible even in the pitch-dark night, constantly churning as if gestating terrifying beasts.

Their charge was unstoppable!

The disciples of Beidou Palace wailed, cried, and despaired...

The entire city had become a slaughterhouse. The once lofty and envied disciples of the sacred land were now like fish on a chopping block, to be carved up at will.

This slaughter persisted throughout the night.

The sounds of slaughter only began to fade when the sun first rose, bathing the land in its myriad rays of dawn.

Martial Artists who climbed high to look out were astonished. They discovered a bloody miasma had gathered over the lands of the Middle Region, so thick that even sunlight could not penetrate it!

...

"DING! Congratulations to the Host for conquering the Beidou Dao Domain. The check-in reward is Wang Xizhi, a peerless sage of calligraphy, unmatched in past or present. Would you like to summon him?"

This notification echoed in Qin Wudao’s mind after the battle in the City of Stars ended.

Wang Xizhi!

"Summon!" Qin Wudao commanded. Since he’s a reward, of course, he must be brought forth!

BOOM!

As his voice fell, a phantom appeared in the sky above the Imperial Capital.

The figure was majestic, exuding a sacred aura.

He was dressed in a black robe, looking youthful and handsome. His long hair was neatly tied behind his head. In his right hand, he held a writing brush that radiated brilliant light.

With a flick of his right hand, the soft clouds in the sky swirled, forming lines of text.

In mere moments, a magnificent piece of writing materialized in the sky above the Imperial Capital!

Peerless talent! The aura of the Literary Dao soared to the heavens!

Within a radius of thousands of miles, a sea of script formed. It was as if a great scholar had spilled ink, composing a masterpiece to be renowned through the ages, capable of being passed down for eternity, enlightening billions.

But!

Everyone’s attention was focused on the characters themselves, intoxicated by the calligraphy, which flowed like drifting clouds and struck like startled dragons.

The characters displayed the power of ’a dragon leaping at the Heavenly Gate, a tiger crouching at the Phoenix Pavilion’!

Following this, golden light descended from the heavens, revealing thousands of auspicious phenomena: purple lotuses fell from the sky, myriad auspicious signs appeared, divine beasts galloped, immortal cranes danced in the air, and even Immortals knelt, holding sacred scrolls!

And this was just the beginning!

Around the magnificent text, the Power of Laws emerged, weighing down heaven and earth.

Vaguely, the most powerful cultivators could perceive, through the myriad phenomena, a Power of Laws never before seen or heard.

This Power of Laws shared similarities with the Literary Dao, infused with scholarly talent, yet it possessed even deeper connotations: like a poem without words, a dance without movement, a painting without form, music without sound...

Although they did not understand what this Power of Laws precisely was, everyone had a feeling that if they could comprehend it, they could pass judgment on the world with a brush and suppress the universe with a single character!

This Power of Laws was the Dao of Calligraphy!

"A new kind of law! Amazing! Truly amazing!"

The emergence of this new Power of Laws astounded all Martial Artists on the Primordial Continent. They looked towards the east, their faces filled with complex emotions.

How many years had passed since a new Dao had emerged on the Primordial Continent?

It seemed that ever since the end of the Archaic Era, new Daos had ceased to appear!

Now, a new Dao had emerged. Did its appearance herald something significant?

...

"Your subject, Wang Xizhi, greets Your Majesty!"

In the Imperial Study, a young figure bowed in greeting, identical in appearance to the phantom in the sky.

"Please rise!" Qin Wudao gestured, then hurriedly reviewed Wang Xizhi’s profile.

To be honest, the emergence of Wang Xizhi and the creation of a new Dao had left him utterly astounded.

Name: Wang Xizhi!

Cultivation: Initial Stage of the Origin Great Emperor Realm!

Cultivation Technique: "Lanting Immortality Method for All Eternity"!

Title: Sage of Calligraphy!

Introduction: A great calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, revered by later generations as the ’Sage of Calligraphy’. He held the official rank of General of the Right Army. His "Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion" is renowned as the ’finest running script under Heaven’!

Obsessed with practicing calligraphy, he would travel extensively, scaling mountains and crossing rivers, to find and make rubbings of ancient stone carvings, thereby accumulating a vast collection of calligraphic materials.

In his study, courtyard, and by his gate, he kept stools furnished with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, always ready. Whenever he conceived of a well-structured character, he would immediately write it down.

Through relentless practice, diligent study, and by drawing on the strengths of many, Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy reached a height "esteemed above all others, peerless in any age."

"Issue an order: bestow upon Wang Xizhi the title of Second-Rank Attendant and Grand Academician, to teach the Dao of Calligraphy!" Qin Wudao commanded loudly.

"As you command!" Wang Xizhi saluted and slowly withdrew.

"Now, only the Myriad Demon Saint’s Court remains!"

In the empty hall, Qin Wudao picked up a memorial, a hint of anticipation on his face.

This memorial had been submitted by Bai Qi. It requested the use of the ’Ring of Enslavement’ to enslave the non-human races of the Ancient Court Dao Domain, form an army, and launch an attack on the Divine Demon Dao Domain.

At the bottom of the memorial was a red character for ’Approved’!

This meant that one-third of the non-human races would be enslaved, becoming cannon fodder on the battlefield, destined to pay the price in blood in the upcoming battles.

But what did it matter? It did not matter at all!