Chapter 287: Chapter 284: Power of Fortune

"Oh? Emperor Li, you dare attack me?"

The middle-aged man sneered. Even if he was just a subordinate, a mere servant, he still came from the Hall of Envoys.

He didn’t believe the Mountain and Sea Empire had the guts to offend him, much less the combat strength to match him.

Otherwise, they would have used it eleven years ago.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you. My Young Master will be arriving soon. If you know what’s good for you, you know what to do!"

However, he had overestimated his own intimidating presence and underestimated Li Shimu’s mettle.

"Audacious scoundrel! To still dare spout such arrogant nonsense at a time like this! You deserve death!"

With those words, Li Shimu had sealed the middle-aged man’s fate. It was a death sentence.

If the middle-aged man had just backed down, even if he had merely fallen silent or left immediately, Li Shimu would have chosen to turn a blind eye.

But no, he just had to put Li Shimu in an impossible position in front of so many people.

Especially since countless strands of Divine Sense were secretly observing the commotion.

If Li Shimu failed to act, the prestige of the Mountain and Sea Empire would plummet, and he himself would be scorned by the Empire’s people behind his back.

Therefore, whether for the honor of the Empire or for his own sake, he had to display the majesty and authority befitting the ruler of a nation.

"Hahaha!" The middle-aged man was so furious he started laughing.

It was bad enough that he had just been suppressed by an Immortal, but for this tiny Mountain and Sea Empire to also act so insolently was infuriating.

"You little brat from the Li Family, you think you can execute me with this rabble under your command? I’m afraid you’re still a long way off!"

The middle-aged man’s insolent words and contemptuous attitude greatly displeased the Empire’s experts.

"Your Holiness, I request permission to fight!" boomed the King of Kaosan, his voice like a great bell. His soaring battle intent was laced with unconcealable killing intent.

"I also request to fight!" The second general, Patriarch Zhao Ruifeng of the Zhao family, wearing his Battle Armor, drew his sword and raised it over his head.

"I beg Your Holiness to allow me to fight and avenge my son, Duoduo!" Qian Juduo said through gritted teeth.

"We are willing to fight!"

Of all the experts present, not a single one showed a hint of fear. All of them were clamoring for a chance to fight the middle-aged man.

"Enough! You can all come at me at once!"

The middle-aged man was furious. This went beyond merely looking down on him; it was a blatant, naked humiliation!

His words were like pouring oil on a fire, causing the fury of the King of Kaosan and the others to utterly explode.

Just as a great battle was about to erupt, Li Shimu spoke.

"All of you, stand down. I will handle this myself!"

Everyone was stunned. His Holiness was actually going to make a move himself!

Mo Qi was also startled, but his surprise was quickly replaced by curiosity.

As the Emperor of a nation, Li Shimu’s strength was surely beyond question.

But Mo Qi was eager to find out just how strong he truly was.

The King of Kaosan and the others hesitated, as if they wanted to speak but held back. Their expressions were a mixture of awe and surprise.

It seemed there was more to Li Shimu’s decision to take action himself than met the eye.

But in the end, they retreated to the sides. Even Qian Juduo, who was burning with the most intense killing intent, temporarily reined in his aura and returned to Qian Duoduo’s side.

"Heh, handling this yourself? In that case, after today, the Mountain and Sea Empire will need a new Emperor!"

The middle-aged man sneered. He had seen through Li Shimu’s Cultivation with a single glance: Peak of the Void Realm, only a single step away from becoming a Demi-Immortal.

In the Mountain and Sea Empire, that might represent the highest level of combat power.

But the middle-aged man had already touched the threshold of the Demi-Immortal rank, which was like taking another half-step beyond the Peak of the Void Realm.

Although it was only an extra half-step, the difference in their strength was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.

The most important reason was that the middle-aged man could already cultivate Immortal Power and had begun tempering his body into that of a Demi-Immortal.

And no matter how strong Li Shimu was, in his eyes, he was still just a mere mortal, unable to withstand a single blow.

"Whether he’s replaced or not is not for you to decide!"

Li Shimu spread his arms, closed his eyes, and tilted his head toward the blue sky, taking a deep breath.

At that moment, Mo Qi didn’t know if it was an illusion or if it was truly happening, but he was astonished to discover that Li Shimu seemed to have merged with his surroundings.

His aura and the fluctuations emanating from his body were in perfect harmony with nature.

If one closed their eyes and relied only on their senses, it would be impossible to detect Li Shimu’s presence.

The middle-aged man’s expression flickered. He realized something was wrong.

’I have to strike first!’

He took a single step forward, formed a sword-finger by pressing his index and middle fingers together, and thrust it toward Li Shimu’s heart.

Spiritual Energy and the Power of Heaven and Earth intertwined, forming a brilliant light that gathered at his fingertip. Its friction with the air produced a piercing shriek.

Just then, Li Shimu’s eyes snapped open. Like a waking lion, his entire body emanated a transcendent aura.

VMMMM!

The entire Imperial City trembled slightly. Countless streams of golden light surged from all directions, pouring into Li Shimu’s body and dyeing him completely gold.

CLANG!

The middle-aged man’s finger struck Li Shimu’s chest, and it was like hitting incomparably hard metal. The impact produced a muffled thud.

The light of the sword-finger shattered and scattered, but Li Shimu remained completely unscathed.

"The Power of National Fortune!" the middle-aged man cried out in alarm.

People have personal fortune, Sects have sectarian fortune, and a great nation naturally possesses a national fortune.

Generally speaking, fortune is ethereal and elusive, difficult to grasp.

Only by using a special Technique to gather it and a Secret Technique to wield it can one borrow even a sliver of its power.

Such a Technique is extremely rare, an uncommon sight even in the Immortal Realm.

The middle-aged man had never imagined that a minor Empire, turtled up in the Mortal District, would possess such a method.

How immense is the power of an entire nation? Even if he could only borrow one percent, a thousandth, or even a ten-thousandth of it, it was more than enough to raise Li Shimu’s strength by several levels.

"Are you insane?! Aren’t you afraid the backlash from this fortune will flay you alive and tear you apart?"

The middle-aged man cursed.

Since the word used was "borrow," it meant the fortune had to be repaid, and the price was extremely high!

The one borrowing the fortune not only has to endure the backlash of it entering their body, but they also have their lifespan shortened in proportion to the amount they borrowed.

"Fucking lunatic. I’m not sticking around for this!"

Empowered by the National Fortune, once Li Shimu adapted to this explosive increase in power, he would be able to crush him with a single hand.

The middle-aged man wasn’t about to throw his life away here. Without a moment’s hesitation, he used an escape technique, crushing a paper talisman and instantly vanishing from sight.

"Hmph!" Li Shimu snorted. "You think you can come and go as you please? It’s not that easy!"

At this moment, his body radiated a dazzling golden light. He looked like a divine warrior descended from the heavens, magnificent and awe-inspiring.

He stretched out a hand and threw a punch toward the spot where the middle-aged man had disappeared.

BOOM!

CRACK!

A fine fissure cracked open in space, and a terrifyingly violent power seeped out from within.

This was a true spatial fissure!

"Aaargh!"

Along with the middle-aged man’s pained scream, a severed arm fell out of the void.

"You whelp of the Li Family, I will remember this debt for my severed arm! Just you wait! The day the Young Master arrives will be the day your empire is annihilated!"

RUMBLE...

The spatial fissure closed. The sky was once again a clear, pristine blue, as if nothing had happened at all.

’So strong! Compared to the fluctuations when my main body borrowed the Power of the Dragon Vein Within the Pass, this is only a tiny bit weaker,’ Mo Qi thought, clicking his tongue.