Zong Shou raised an eyebrow, having felt the sensation right after the first snow. Still unable to move, he simply let the Primordial One Soul Sword fly out of his body.
The Dragon Qi Devouring was nearing its end. Therefore, this second primordial spirit could barely manage movement, but it could not be sustained for long.
Otherwise, the Dragon Qi entering his spirit would taint the primordial soul—a troublesome matter, no matter how small.
With the Enhancement Profound Dharma Wings augmenting it, the sword light bent, plunging out of the minor world. Trailing the hilt was Zong Shou’s ethereal soul projection.
Outside raged a fierce spatio-temporal storm, with countless rifts flashing into existence without pattern.
One misstep, and one could be torn into dozens of segments.
Zong Shou tracked the direction of the lingering aura, traversing the void. Midway, he scattered tens of millions of sword lights, forming an impenetrable wall that blocked the spatial distortions.
At this moment, his true body and Su Xiaoxiao and the First Snow remained immobilized. With the adversary’s allegiance unknown, precaution was necessary. Furthermore, being completely naked made an encounter inconvenient.
And then, in that instant, the shadow of a colossal sword suddenly rang out with a mighty clang, striking hard against the wall of swords.
The Primordial One Sword trembled slightly, humming as the myriad sword shadows slowly ceased and faded away.
Zong Shou’s nascent spirit hastily retreated, astonishment flickering in his eyes. The power imbued within that sword was truly immense and weighty.
Without a physical body, confronting it with only spirit power put him at a distinct disadvantage. Fortunately, the Enhancement Profound Dharma Wings provided support; in terms of raw force, he wasn't overwhelmingly inferior.
Though that single strike forced him back, the escape light of the great sword's master was forcefully halted by him.
It was a youth clad entirely in black armor, possessing a face carved as if by knife strokes, his expression as cold and unyielding as bedrock.
At first, his expression was bewildered as he glanced at the Primordial One Sword in Zong Shou’s hand.
Then, he looked toward the fragment of the minor world behind Zong Shou.
His features were complex, showing both surging fury and a strange relief born of release, mixed with a profound sense of being lost.
A moment later, clarity returned to his gaze.
“Where is my Emperor?”
“My Emperor?”
Zong Shou glanced at the black armor covering the figure, having long realized this was no living being.
However, unlike the Corpse Generals from the Qin Emperor’s tomb, the death aura emanating from this person was purer, without much gathering of malevolent energy.
After a brief contemplation, Zong Shou had a clear idea of this person’s identity.
“Are you Li Xin?”
The black armor remained impassive, offering no reply, and continued his query: “Where is my Emperor? Is he alive or dead?”
“I do not know his whereabouts!”
Zong Shou shook his head. The Qin Emperor's burial chamber was not within that fragment of the minor world. It had separated when the world shattered, so he genuinely did not know.
Otherwise, he would have happily claimed the Emperor’s Sword and the Mountains and Rivers Pearl as well.
These were rare divine treasures, their value only slightly less than the Nation-Suppressing Seal in his hand.
“As for life or death, in my estimation, the Qin Emperor cannot be resurrected.”
The essence gathered over ten thousand years, refined by the Two Forms Dragon Convergence Array, had now benefited him. Moreover, the Primordial Qin Dragon Qi had been inexplicably swallowed by his Primordial One Sword.
With the Two Forms Dragon Convergence Array destroyed, the Qin Emperor, no matter how many fallback plans he possessed, was likely beyond saving. In any case, revival was impossible.
At this, Li Xin’s eyes snapped open, blazing with fury: “It is all your fault, disturbing my Emperor’s peace! Despicable and worthy of death!”
The sword light swept out like a massive hammer, crossing the void and cleaving down heavily.
Zong Shou’s expression shifted slightly, and the Primordial One Sword instantly erupted with tens of millions of sword gleams.
They blossomed like layered flowers. Within each sword-flower, a tiny black speck was hidden.
The Limit of Immeasurability ceaselessly devoured sword power, constantly converting it into Zong Shou’s own strength.
Not in his main body, even with the Enhancement Profound Dharma Wings, he could not breach the boundary of the Thirteenth Layer of Supreme Divine Arts.
Now, under this great sword’s assault, he was being pressed to the brink of collapse.
Li Xin’s sword possessed few flourishes; it was clearly tempered through countless battles—simple and direct.
Its fundamental Great Dao was merely the straightforward divine formulae of ‘Light’ and ‘Heavy.’
The sword momentum came on with terrifying grandeur. Yet, as it descended, it felt as light as a feather, exerting no force. But when it seemed soft and weak, it often carried a colossal power comparable to Mount Meru in the Buddhist Pure Glazed World—a mountain legendary only for Ultimate Realm cultivators to lift.
However, Li Xin, wielding the command over the word ‘Heavy,’ possessed power that directly chased the might of an Ultimate Saint Venerable.
The shifts between light and heavy were perfectly executed in his hands. After merely a hundred strikes, Zong Shou was so exasperated he nearly vomited blood, his primordial spirit form almost failing to sustain itself.
The relentless pressure forced his figure back almost to the edge of the spatio-temporal fragment.
With another heavy thud, the sword vibrated sharply, and Zong Shou was forced to retreat again.
The Primordial One Sword let out a sound of unwilling resonance; nine blazing dragons manifested on its body, roaring and coiling.
Zong Shou’s eyes sharpened, filled with cold killing intent: “What you say is quite amusing. If the Qin Emperor had not plotted for resurrection and returning to rule the Cloud Realm, why would we trespass on his tomb and disturb his slumber?”
As he spoke this, his face was full of righteousness and his words sounded grand. In his heart, however, he felt a pang of guilt, for he had a history with grave robbing. The entire auxiliary tomb of Qin lay in his hands.
Wait, according to later terminology, that was archaeology—
Li Xin seemed unable or unwilling to discern truth from falsehood, nor did he wish to debate with Zong Shou. He snorted coldly, “Regardless of the reason, you must die! Stop wasting time!”
He struck again with a heavy horizontal slash. Zong Shou resisted helplessly, pouring his utmost effort into the parry just to avoid being pushed back further this time.
His attempt to converse was indeed a ploy to buy time for the First Snow to safely extricate herself and guard him while he dealt with Li Xin.
But that careful calculation seemed destined to fail.
When schemes fail, one must rely on brute force. Relying solely on the Primordial One Sword and the Enhancement Profound Dharma Wings, matching the strength of this near-Ultimate-Realm Corpse General was already his limit. To gain the upper hand and force him back was nearly impossible.
Zong Shou’s thoughts raced as he assessed his various capabilities.
The Holy Fire Silver Ants were still assimilating the vital essence. They couldn't disengage for a short while.
Even if they could form a battle array, this method couldn't reverse the tide of battle.
The Illusory Heart Mirror was useless against this foe, and the Spirit Refining Sword, along with his physical body, was undergoing refinement.
It was agonizingly close to advancing to a true Divine Weapon and could not be deployed yet.
As for the three extant pages of the Supreme Annihilation True Scripture, none were useful for dealing with the current situation.
Suddenly, Zong Shou felt a subtle shift and sent out a mental probe. Immediately, a jade seal flew out from the spatio-temporal fragment and into his hand.
It was the Nation-Suppressing Seal—the central nexus for the Twelve Nation-Suppressing Bronze Men and, crucially, a Kingly Divine Treasure.
The Primordial One Sword channeled all his Kingly Martial Arts, precisely controlled by the ‘Imperial Wind Art,’ making them perfectly synergistic.
Holding the Seal in his left hand, he projected an imprint from it, instantly shattering the myriad heavy sword shadows.
Just as Zong Shou breathed a small sigh of relief,
He saw that Li Xin’s eyes had become blank again, staring dazedly at the Nation-Suppressing Seal in his hand.
Half a moment later, a look of struggle crossed his face. Finally, with profound helplessness, he knelt before Zong Shou.
“Your subject, Li Xin, greets Your Majesty! I beg pardon for my previous insolence, Your Majesty!”
Zong Shou was also taken aback. He glanced at Li Xin, then at the Nation-Suppressing Seal in his hand. He vaguely guessed that Li Xin’s sudden aberration was likely tied to the object he held.
Could it be that the Nation-Suppressing Seal, besides controlling the Twelve Bronze Men, also suppressed these Corpse Generals?
Though harboring this suspicion, he still asked out of curiosity, “Why do you call me Your Majesty? I am not the Qin Emperor, nor am I of his bloodline. I have no connection to the Primordial Qin.”
Li Xin’s face was expressionless: “This Nation-Suppressing Seal is the heirloom of my dynasty. Li Xin once swore an oath to serve the Qin Emperor and the master of this Seal. Since Your Majesty has consumed my dynasty’s Dragon Qi, it can be said that you carry the legacy of the Primordial Qin. Li Xin acts thus not by choice, but out of necessity—”
The implication was clear: he was not willingly serving Zong Shou, but forced by the oath and other factors; he had no other option.
Zong Shou blinked, took a long moment to process, and then burst out laughing.
Whatever the reason, gaining the service of a Saint-rank Venerable whose power rivaled, or perhaps surpassed, Lin Xuanxuan, was an utterly delightful surprise.
Moreover, this man was one of the peerless great generals from ten thousand years ago, especially skilled in cavalry command—
He had many talented subordinates, yet none could yet stand alone. Only Lie Que, at the Divine Realm, was barely presentable.
If Li Xin was truly willing to serve him, it would be an unexpected blessing.
For a time, Zong Shou didn't know what to say. Comfort? Or perhaps a few encouraging words?
The true reason for Li Xin’s surrender remained murky; it was best to clarify it to prevent future instability.
Furthermore, was it appropriate for a being of his Corpse General nature, sustained by deathly aura, to appear within his Great Qian Immortal Dynasty?
Corpses needed deathly aura to persist. Would his own subordinates accept such a ‘dead man’ as a colleague?
Thinking this, Zong Shou suddenly had an inspiration and asked with a faint smile, “Li Xin, do you wish to be resurrected, to live once more?”
Li Xin looked up, his gaze cold, showing no sign of temptation.
Bringing a dead man back to life—even the Creation Lord of ten millennia past could not achieve that.
Especially for someone like him, whose primordial spirit had already been assimilated by the death aura of the Corpse General body.
Thus, though Zong Shou’s words carried allure, Li Xin remained unmoved.
Zong Shou felt helpless; in truth, he himself wasn't certain. Even if he succeeded, it likely wouldn't last long, but attempting it was harmless.
“If you trust this Emperor, then do not resist—”
The one who acted was not his second primordial spirit, but Zong Shou’s true body from within the spatio-temporal fragment.
A speck of black and white light suddenly pierced through the void. Li Xin instinctively tried to evade, then his expression shifted slightly.