"This matter ends here!"

"You may leave now!"

"Oh, right—leave Huangfu Qing behind!"

At the very end, Huangfu Qing shuddered all over, lowering his head even deeper.

Even now, he could hardly accept Xu Yang’s true identity!

Nearly five heartbeats of dead silence.

Muo Hua’s expression grew solemn, and he bowed respectfully: "Many thanks, Your Highness!"

As he finished, he glanced at the others, then abruptly turned and left.

He did not so much as spare Huangfu Qing a glance!

As for Huangfu Qing’s fate, only Xu Yang had the right to decide!

The Wuhou Hall’s experts departed.

Only Huangfu Qing remained behind.

He began to tremble all over, unable to control himself, as though submerged in a vast ocean, the suffocating shock spraying forth boundless despair!

Beads of sweat as large as beans welled up on his brow, and on his back, layer after layer rolled down with a ’shua shua’ sound.

In the blink of an eye, his clothes were almost soaked through!

Finally, Huangfu Qing could endure no more.

Thud!

He collapsed powerlessly to his knees, laboriously lifting his head to look at Xu Yang and trembled, "Your Highness, I beg for mercy!"

"I have no intention of killing you!"

Hearing these words, Huangfu Qing stared in stunned disbelief, unable to suppress a trace of excitement.

Not going to kill me?

But he did not truly relax.

How could it be so easy to spare me?

"Actually, you could always seek refuge with Great Hao," Xu Yang looked at Huangfu Qing with a hint of mockery.

Defect to Great Hao?

Huangfu Qing shuddered violently, hurriedly shook his head: "I would never turn to Great Hao!"

Great Hao?

On the surface, they have a court, but from start to finish, the powerful ones from Daqian have not shown themselves, the Son of Heaven has not appeared, only Zheng Xuan alone!

Did they really think Daqian is just for show?

Perhaps Great Hao had unimaginable cards to play, but Huangfu Qing did not believe Great Hao could survive to the end!

The Huangfu Family, once a clan of True Monarchs, possessed secrets unknown to ordinary people!

Daqian is by no means so simple!

Xu Yang smiled faintly and said, "Hand over all the True Monarch’s Supreme Treasures on you!"

"Then return to Wuhou Hall and enter seclusion—until you reach True Monarch, do not emerge!"

This punishment was not an annihilating disaster for Huangfu Qing, but it was not light either.

Yet after this battle, Xu Yang found himself uninterested in revenge.

Huangfu Qing would never catch up to him!

Letting him live was, instead, an even crueler torment!

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness!"

Huangfu Qing bowed his head with difficulty.

The next moment, he let out a muffled groan.

Shua!

A streak of blood light drilled forth from his brow.

The Blood Blade Seal floated out soundlessly.

Hot on its heels, another jet-black light flashed, solidifying into a miniature black treasure armor alongside the Blood Blade Seal!

"Two pieces?"

Xu Yang’s pupils contracted, a flash of surprise in his eyes!

At first, Huangfu Shaoyao had destroyed so many True Monarch treasures, then later he seized the Asura Blood Book—all along, Xu Yang had thought Huangfu Qing only had the family patriarch’s token, the Blood Blade Seal, left as his sole Supreme Treasure!

He had never expected there would be yet another!

Armor?

Without doubt, a supreme defensive treasure!

This Huangfu Clan—truly astonishing!

But sadly, with too few people, their inheritance fractured!

Otherwise, just relying on so many treasures, perhaps even the Wuhou Hall would not outshine them by much!

Having finished all this, Huangfu Qing’s face was ashen and bloodless, weak beyond measure!

He said with a quaver: "Your Highness, the Blood Blade Seal is the patriarch’s token of the Huangfu Clan; its offensive power is unmatched, and in terms of might, in some ways, it even surpasses the Asura Blood Book!"

"This armor is called the Celestial Abyss Ink Armor, forged from rare Celestial Abyss Black Gold, and nurtured by a True Monarch for many years; with this armor, someone at the Myriad Phenomena Realm can withstand a True Monarch’s strike and still live!"

Xu Yang’s eyes flashed with shock.

This treasure armor—its value feared to be not much less than the Asura Blood Book or the Blood Blade Seal!

He gazed deeply at Huangfu Qing, then waved his sleeve, taking the two Supreme Treasures and said, "You may go now."

Huangfu Qing crawled up in a sorry state, saluted respectfully, and turned to leave.

His face was full of desolation, endless resentment flickered in his eyes, but in the end, was drowned by overwhelming helplessness!

To seek revenge, perhaps only by joining Great Hao!

But if he did, would vengeance truly be his?

Would his wishes really be fulfilled?

"Deprived of all Supreme Treasures, I can’t even keep my footing before Song Yuanhao!"

"In Great Hao, all the more would I live as a dog!"

But in Wuhou Hall, at least he could go into seclusion!

So long as he did not see Xu Yang, he would not have to live like a dog! 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Huangfu Qing gave a tragic laugh, wandering absentmindedly like a walking corpse, swaying as he made his way out of the Purple Fire Celestial Prison.

On the other side.

Xu Yang returned to the Barbarian God Hall—Gu Jun, Jian Chuan, and the others all gathered around.

Everything outside, they had seen with perfect clarity.

Two Supreme Treasures!

"Huangfu Qing’s wealth is truly astonishing!" Jian Chuan marveled, scrutinizing the two treasures.

Gu Jun likewise sighed: "If you add in the ones from before, the Huangfu Clan must have had nearly ten Supreme Treasures!"

"Ten?"

Jian Chuan’s eyes widened, his breath held!

As the heir of Sword Mountain, after breaking through to True Monarch, he himself possessed only one!

"Young Master, why not simply kill Huangfu Qing?" Yang Yi couldn’t help but ask.

"That, you wouldn’t understand."

Bai Song let out a laugh before he could help himself.

Many of the Martial Artists, confused, turned their eyes to Bai Song.

Zhang Lingqiao and Zhang Yuanshan exchanged glances, both harboring suspicions deep in their hearts.

Bai Song looked to Xu Yang. "Better let the young master explain."

Xu Yang said blandly, "Now, there’s honestly no need to kill him anymore."

"Though I’m unwilling to accept the title of Crown Prince, I am still Crown Prince at present; even if, in the end, I persuade the Son of Heaven and relinquish my status, tell me—would Huangfu Qing dare seek revenge?"

The crowd stared wordlessly at one another.

Revenge, my ass!

You’re not Crown Prince—but in front of the current Son of Heaven, you have to call him Royal Uncle!

Still family—by blood!

Even Zheng Xuan gave his life for Daqian!

"And besides, without these Supreme Treasures, he’s nothing to me, not the least threat!"

"Killing him..." Xu Yang narrowed his eyes. "Wuhou Hall, after all, belongs to the Daqian court and imperial clan!"

Nothing more needed to be said.

"Boy, this old man suddenly feels that all of this was within the Son of Heaven’s schemes!" Gu Jun spoke abruptly.

Xu Yang, however, was hardly surprised—he had guessed as much long ago!

"Nine times out of ten—Wuhou Hall’s path in these recent years had skewed; what’s the difference with those domineering sects of old?"

"After this battle, for at least fifty years, Wuhou Hall will surely toe the line and amend its ways!"

As these words fell, a dead silence filled the hall.

Some were confused, some enlightened, but in the end, every heart was gripped with awe, their expressions growing grave—some things, they dared not even imagine!

Xu Yang watched them all, and let out a long, desolate sigh. Was he not likewise seized with dread?

The feeling of being toyed with in someone else’s palm, was truly unbearable!

Yet he was powerless!

For most, being used as a chess piece by the Son of Heaven would be the greatest of honors!

But Xu Yang could never accept it!

Yet he knew full well, to escape this fate, only strength would serve!

To transcend True Monarch, to transcend the Son of Heaven—for only then could he step beyond the vast, boundless chessboard of Daqian!

Now, as he saw it, the entire Daqian was naught but a chessboard, a cage without end!

Sitting atop all was the Son of Heaven—though in seclusion, though perhaps at death’s doorstep, yet still mastering all!

The truth—utterly dreadful and terrifying!