The First Lackey Under The Empress

What was the final piece missing to step into the Worldly Realm? Zhao Du'an wasn't sure.

Perhaps it wasn't the same for every cultivator, but for him, it was that sense of detachment from this world.

Having arrived in this world for a year, he had walked among the powerful, scheming and maneuvering, seemingly with unlimited glory, but always lacking a genuine connection to this world.

And now, as he witnessed these people, like weeds among flowers, being arbitrarily disposed of by the soldiers, the cruel and rustic other side of this world, experienced during their escape, was finally completely revealed before his eyes.

“Ah—”

A terrified cry rang out. In the eyes of the villagers, the ferocious soldiers' long blades, aimed at Zhao Du'an, were suddenly drawn upwards by an invisible force, forcefully yanked into the sky.

It was the countless red silk threads extending from the crimson tassel at the end of Pei Niannu's steelyard balance, each thread coiling around a sword or blade.

And as the swords and blades left their hands, the flames burning the houses, reflected in Zhao Du'an's light golden eyes, abruptly turned white.

Heart Flame!

Silently, the armored soldiers clutched their chests in pain, their expressions distorted, as illusory flames spewed from their pores.

Screaming, they fell to their knees, trying to struggle but to no avail.

“Too noisy,” Zhao Du'an said coldly.

Then, Pei Niannu casually tossed her hand in the air, and those swords and blades suddenly fell like sharp arrows from the sky, piercing the fallen soldiers into the ground with thudding sounds.

Killing people like weeds!

After Zhao Du'an entered the Worldly Realm, not only did his own Qi Sea undergo earth-shattering changes, his Qi became strong and abundant, making him a true Worldly martial artist.

Pei Niannu could also be summoned and stay in the mortal realm.

One person was comparable to two in the Worldly Realm.

The two working together, even the elite rebel army was now no different from pigs and sheep, easily killed.

“Run! Get out of here!”

In the distance, there were still a few scattered individuals who had avoided the disaster due to the distance, their faces ashen with fright, turning and fleeing.

“Want to leave? It seems a little late,”

Zhao Du'an said softly, as an invisible "divine sense" spread out from the center of his brow, along with an invisible force field.

Zhao Du'an strode forward, his figure like a ghost, almost shrinking the ground into inches, catching up with the three fleeing soldiers in the blink of an eye.

He slapped out his palms, killing two with just two blows, leaving one who fell to the ground, looking back in terror, only to see Zhao Du'an overlooking him, asking without emotion: “Where is His Majesty?”

“Don't even think…” The soldier stubbornly uttered a few words, then screamed, clutching his chest and rolling on the ground.

Zhao Du'an raised his right hand, a white flame burning the soul flickering in his palm:

“I didn't hear you clearly.”

The soldier's mind collapsed:

“Lord Ouyang… captured the false Emperor, and is escorting her back to the county town, preparing to send her back to the Prince… leaving us… to deal with the aftermath… to search for your whereabouts…”

Zhenbao has been captured… Zhao Du'an's heart sank. He casually extinguished the flames, and the soldier died with blood flowing from all seven orifices.

All this happened in an instant, and only corpses remained of this cavalry squad.

“Brother…” Little Hundred Flowers opened her eyes, staring blankly at him, calling out timidly.

Liu Qi and Liu Wangshi also looked fearful, and the rest of the villagers were no exception, with some even collapsing to the ground in fright.

“I'm sorry…” Zhao Du'an's lips twitched, but now was not the time to talk to these villagers. After learning what had happened from them, he immediately said:

“I'm going to rescue someone, wait for me to return.”

Then, he thought of something, turned his wrist, and a Black Tortoise Seal slowly rotated in his palm.

In an instant, the villagers watched in astonishment as dark clouds gathered over the small village, followed by a torrential downpour that extinguished the burning houses.

After advancing to the Worldly Realm, Zhao Du'an's control over this treasure became even more effortless.

Immediately, his figure disappeared, heading towards the official road leading to the county town.

Leaving behind a group of villagers who were in awe, as if seeing a god, because of his display of magic, belatedly realizing that the couple who had lodged with them were actually such divine figures.

… …

… …

The setting sun had faded, and the world darkened again.

On the official road, a team of cavalry was advancing, the number much larger than those left in the village.

In the center of the cavalry, there was actually a prison wagon.

At this moment, inside the crude prison wagon, Xu Zhenguan's hands and feet were bound by golden shackles and chains, which were magical artifacts specifically designed to lock down the power of cultivators.

She was still wearing a plain Ru skirt, her long hair disheveled and scattered, and there were no obvious injuries on her body, only bloodstains on her shoulders.

After luring away this group of rebels, Xu Zhenguan tried to escape, but was eventually captured due to being outnumbered.

Fortunately, her identity was too important. Prince Jing's order was to capture her alive if possible, and not to kill her unless necessary.

“Lord Ouyang, that Zhao Du'an is not here. When he returns, he will definitely catch up. This person should not be underestimated. Are we moving too slowly?”

Yao Shiniang, riding on her horse, frowned tightly.

After fighting along the way, she no longer dared to underestimate Zhao Du'an. Compared to the wounded and unhealed Empress, he was the most troublesome enemy.

“The prison wagon is too slow. We can completely tie this Empress to the back of a horse to speed up.”

White-headed Eagle also expressed his opinion. As a warlock who could communicate with living beings, he was more sensitive to danger. As it got dark, he gradually felt uneasy.

Ouyang Ye, who was leading the team, smiled, his thumb stroking the handle of his Miao sword:

“If we don't slow down, how can we lure that Zhao thief here?”

Bait?

Everyone understood.

Ouyang Ye was driven by greed. Capturing an Empress was not enough, he wanted to capture Zhao Du'an as well.

He did indeed have the confidence to do so. With the current formation, it was not difficult to capture a Divine Chapter Realm cultivator, unless Eunuch Hai appeared again to break the situation.

But Eunuch Hai should now be entangled by Qingshan Duan Shuiliu's men, making it difficult for him to escape.

If so, why not use the Empress as bait to lure that Zhao thief to his doom?

“He won't come,” Xu Zhenguan in the prison wagon was mentally exhausted, but as a prisoner, she still maintained her dignified demeanor, like an emperor sitting in court, looking down on everyone with disdain:

“Your tricks cannot deceive him.”

There was no despair in Xu Zhenguan's eyes, only calmness.

She believed that Zhao Du'an would never run away alone, leaving her behind.

But she also believed that with Zhao Du'an's wisdom, he would not recklessly seek death.

As long as he could successfully break through, he would have the capital to come and save her.

The only thing to worry about was that she had fallen into the hands of these treacherous villains and would definitely be transferred overnight. Would she still be able to wait for him to catch up after breaking through?

“Hehe, Your Majesty should speak less. You can say whatever you want when you see the Prince. Otherwise, we crude soldiers may not observe etiquette. The Prince only wants Your Majesty alive, but has not asked for anything else.”

Ouyang Ye smiled sinisterly, his words carrying a threat.

Just then, as the team passed through a route with mountains on both sides, everyone suddenly heard a whistling sound from overhead!

Heavy stones, as if precisely hit by a trebuchet, came whistling!

“Enemy attack!”

The rebel army reacted quickly, immediately stopping their horses and being on guard, but the stones came too fast, knocking a cavalryman off his horse, spitting blood!

“The person is on the hillside!”

In an instant, crossbows aimed at the hillside on the right. In the dim sky, a figure slowly walked out.

“Swish, swish, swish—”

Without hesitation, the well-trained rebel army immediately fired crossbow bolts that had armor-piercing effects on the protective Qi of cultivators.

Zhao Du'an calmly overlooked the scene below, his gaze meeting that of Xu Zhenguan in the prison wagon, her hair disheveled.

Xu Zhenguan was stunned. Seeing the former Little Forbidden Army smile at her, she suddenly became anxious and blurted out: “Leave! Hurry!”

However, Zhao Du'an only took one step.

Buzz!

The spread of ripples under his feet, a circle of ripples propped up five steps around him, a virtual golden bell engraved with Buddhist inscriptions frantically rotating.

Buddhist Golden Bell Shield!

“Ding, ding, ding…”

The crossbow bolts that could break through the Qi of the Divine Chapter Realm hit the Golden Bell Shield and fell softly to the ground.

This scene made the pupils of the rebels shrink sharply.

“Something's not right…” The smile on Ouyang Ye's face froze. The Golden Bell Shield was indeed powerful, but… the Golden Bell that the Zhao fellow propped up was too big?

“Attack together!”

Unable to think, he gave the order.

In an instant, the rebels drew their swords, forming a circular military formation, the mirror armor on their chests lit up with strands of light, connecting with their comrades beside them.

A group of cavalry, forming a formation with heart-protecting mirror artifacts, was an effective method on the battlefield to deal with cultivators.

Attacking any one soldier was equivalent to fighting dozens of people simultaneously.

"Zhao Du'an!"

Yao Shiniang squeezed the name out from between her teeth, supporting herself on the horse's neck with one hand. She flew up as lightly as a falling leaf, a sleeve sword in her hand, streaking through the air!

White-headed Eagle also played his bone flute, causing the earth to shake in the mountains and forests. Countless birds flew ahead like a dark cloud.

"Kill the woman first."

Zhao Du'an stood calmly within his golden bell shield, the corners of his mouth rising in a smile as he spoke into the air.

He was speaking to whom?

Yao Shiniang, flying with her light skills, felt a chill in her heart. Subconsciously, she raised her head and activated her celestial eye. However, she only saw a blurry shadow, indistinct and ethereal, floating in the air.

Faintly visible was a large red wedding dress, and a pair of old embroidered shoes hanging down.

After advancing to the Worldly Realm, Zhao Du'an could not only give orders to Pei Niannu to a certain extent without having to humbly beg for assistance.

Moreover, even if a sorcerer was present, it would be difficult to see Pei Niannu's appearance clearly.

"A ghost?"

The word jumped into Yao Shiniang's mind, and a strong sense of fear arose. Almost subconsciously, the space in front of her twisted, and an ancient candlestick slowly materialized.

Summoning the Lamp God!

However, before she could begin to make a wish, Pei Niannu, standing in the air, glanced at her with disdain. Beneath her mask, her red lips gently blew.

"Poof!"

The flame on the candlestick was actually extinguished by her!

Yao Shiniang's scalp exploded, her eyes widened, and a strong sense of horror arose in her heart: "Worldly... sorcery..."

Barely uttering these words, a phantom golden weighing rod cracked her skull open. This female sorcerer, who had roamed the martial world for many years, fell to her death on the spot without any resistance.

White-headed Eagle, another sorcerer, witnessing Yao Shiniang's sudden and tragic death, was struck by a strong sense of fear.

At that moment, the instinct for survival made him abandon his attack. He controlled a large flock of birds to cover his head and turned to flee!

The power that could instantly kill Yao Shiniang could also instantly kill him!

The key was that Zhao Du'an had clearly done nothing!

"Could there be an accomplice? A sorcerer in the Worldly Realm? But... how could it be? Unless..."

White-headed Eagle's body suddenly stiffened. He thought of the rumors that the royal family's Martial God cultivated both sorcery and martial arts. A shocking guess surfaced in his mind.

"Guessed it?"

Zhao Du'an stood on the hillside, saw the middle-aged sorcerer turning to flee, and walked down the mountain.

When Ouyang Ye ordered the attack, he had stayed at the very back. Yao Shiniang's instant death made him stop abruptly. Seeing White-headed Eagle retreat, he almost subconsciously drew his Miao saber to block him: "Don't retreat!"

He didn't even realize that his voice was trembling slightly.

What did it mean to be able to instantly kill a Divine Chapter Realm sorcerer?

White-headed Eagle was blocked by Ouyang Ye and was a step too late. A sharp, low-pitched screech echoed in his ears.

The summoned birds were unable to block the attack. This sorcerer from the Dharma God Sect staggered, lowered his gaze, and looked at the large hole that had been pierced through his chest.

The bloodstained Golden Crow Flying Knife cheered, piercing through his heart. It seemed that only at this moment did this weapon fully reveal its power.

After his realm advanced, many of the methods Zhao Du'an had previously mastered had undergone earth-shattering improvements.

"Gurgle..." White-headed Eagle's throat moved, and he fell to the ground with a thud, lifeless.

And the two Divine Chapter Realm sorcerers, killed in a single exchange, dealt a heavy blow to the rebel army's original high morale!

Overwhelming!

Ruthless crushing!

Sorcerers were already afraid of being approached by martial artists, let alone being a whole level apart?

Zhao Du'an was surprised to find that the two people he had previously considered to be experts, and who had chased him into a desperate escape a few days ago, were now as easy to kill as cutting melons and vegetables.

"It's your turn."

He smiled and looked at the secret agent leader who was holding a Miao saber in both hands and wearing a hood.

Ouyang Ye's hair stood on end. At that moment, he was absolutely certain that Zhao Du'an had entered the Worldly Realm.

But... how was that possible? How long had it been since he entered the Upper Grade according to the intelligence? When had the Worldly Realm become so easy to reach?

Ouyang Ye's face turned pale instantly, his palms sweating. He realized that his judgment was wrong. A Worldly Realm martial artist who could summon gods to descend... unless surrounded and suppressed by an army of thousands, it was impossible to confront him head-on.

"Go!"

Without any hesitation, the Miao saber in his hand bloomed with a brilliant blade light, forming a crescent shape, slashing towards Zhao Du'an!

At the same time as he attacked, he frantically ran towards the prison carriage!

He still had a teleportation talisman, but he had to buy some time to activate it. Moreover, he had to take the Empress with him!

"Block him!"

Ouyang Ye shouted loudly, his eyes filled with madness. As long as he sacrificed these cavalrymen, it would be enough to block Zhao Du'an for a moment.

Using this gap, he would be able to escape with the Empress.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough not to be prepared for the same trick you've used before?" Zhao Du'an looked down at his fleeing back, as panicked as a stray dog.

No one could perceive that Pei Niannu, dressed in a large red wedding dress, had already been floating above Ouyang Ye's head after killing Yao Shiniang.

At that moment, red threads extended from her body, wrapping around the secret agent leader's hands and feet.

In full view of everyone, Ouyang Ye suddenly levitated in the air, like a puppet, bound by an invisible force.

"Lord, be careful!"

The soldiers beside the prison carriage shouted loudly, but it was already too late.

A low-pitched whistling blade light flashed past, and Ouyang Ye's legs were severed at the roots while he was suspended in mid-air!

"Ah!"

The secret agent leader of the Jingwang Manor let out a miserable scream, his face twisted, and the Miao saber in his hand clattered to the ground.

Accompanied by the sound was the Golden Crow Flying Knife that severed both arms, and a corner of the purple talisman folded in his left palm.

"Kill! Kill him!"

Dozens of rebel soldiers were terrified, but under the fear, a fierce and fearless nature was aroused. Someone shouted, and everyone spurred their horses and raised their sabers, charging towards Zhao Du'an, who was alone but like a ghost or god.

Zhao Du'an flicked his wrist, and the Golden Crow Flying Knife suddenly lengthened, transforming into a short sword.

The Qi energy in his body rumbled, and a dazzling glow enveloped his body. As he charged forward alone, all that could be seen was blood splattering and screams echoing continuously.

A moment later.

The last cavalryman's body stiffened, and he and his horse fell crookedly, and everything became quiet.

Fresh blood flowed continuously from the grooves of the short sword, dripping down, scattering plum blossoms on the ground.

The evening breeze gently brushed, the bright moon hung high, and twilight descended.

Zhao Du'an walked to the prison carriage, which suddenly fell apart. He raised his hand and cut off the golden shackles with external force.

Xu Zhenguan sat quietly in the prison carriage. She had just come back to her senses. She ignored the corpses on the ground, and her eyes simply looked at him quietly.

Her eyes were filled with joy and an unusual gleam.

"You..."

Zhao Du'an gave a bright smile and was about to speak.

Suddenly, the Empress's face changed drastically, and she raised her hand and pushed him away!

"Be careful!"

Behind the two of them, behind the corpses, Ouyang Ye, who had been severed of his limbs, suddenly raised his head, opened his mouth, and spat out a silver, rhombus-shaped nail engraved with runes!

Ouyang Ye's crazy face wore a deranged smile. This was his last trump card. Even a Worldly Realm expert would be seriously injured if caught off guard!

Zhao Du'an suddenly staggered, grunted, and almost fell on the prison carriage.

The Empress panicked, no longer caring about her demeanor, exclaimed, and hugged him, tears welling up in her eyes.

However, the next second, the "seriously injured" Zhao Du'an suddenly smiled, pulled a face, and stood up properly again:

"Your subject is fine, why is Your Majesty crying?"

Xu Zhenguan was stunned. Only then did she notice that the nail was floating in mid-air behind Zhao Du'an, pinched by the invisible Pei Niannu's fingers!

Pei Niannu flicked her wrist!

Ouyang Ye's smile froze on his face. The nail pierced his brow, and the light in his eyes completely extinguished.