The Imperial Palace Study Room below houses a vast underground secret chamber, and "Thunder Mountain Residence," which Qin Yu had left for Qin Zheng, is located inside.

Almost the moment True Master Ming Liang abruptly appeared in front of Qin Zheng, Qin Zheng’s first reaction was to slap the desk in the study room, and like a man in freefall, he plunged directly into a tunnel beside the desk, whereupon the tunnel sealed itself shut.

As Emperor, it was natural for him to be prepared for assassination attempts, and this passage was created for exactly that purpose.

This slap and fall happened almost simultaneously with Wu Kongxue’s low roar. Just as the figure dropped, the ripples of space extended to where Qin Zheng had just been, a narrow escape.

Although not the strongest, Qin Zheng was a high-level practitioner in the Innate Realm. Moreover, as the ruler of a nation, his mental fortitude was even stronger than that of many Loose Cultivators. With the Sky-breaking Map snatched away, he didn’t care who had taken it and immediately hid in Thunder Mountain Residence inside the underground secret chamber.

Qin Zheng escaped.

Yet, of the nearly twenty Independent Demons present, not a single one noticed all of this, their attention wholly focused on True Master Ming Liang.

"Ming Liang, the Sky-breaking Map is ours, put down the Sky-breaking Map, and we’ll spare your life," Wu Kongxue declared loudly, but the terrifying Powerful Energy was constantly radiating out from him, shaking the space for miles around continuously.

As a Twelfth Tribulation Independent Demon, a full-powered attack could even cause cracks in the Mortal World’s space. Now, merely causing it to tremble was effortless.

Seeing that he could not perform Instantaneous Movement, True Master Ming Liang did not waste words, only snorting coldly before turning into a streak of light, charging directly towards the south, smashing through the air.

"Leave behind the Sky-breaking Map."

Wu Kongxue’s shout echoed throughout the Capital, while he himself launched a terrifyingly powerful attack. A series of blood-red rays shot out from Wu Kongxue’s hands, bombarding the space ahead of True Master Ming Liang, aiming to halt his escape.

At the same time, a blood-red mist appeared over the Capital, evidencing that in this moment Wu Kongxue had unleashed his utmost strength.

"Hmph, as if you could, in your dreams," True Master Ming Liang sneered. Having taken the Sky-breaking Map, he would not easily surrender it. Given Wu Kongxue’s desperate attempts to restrain him, escape was impossible, but... True Master Ming Liang was by no means afraid of Wu Kongxue and immediately responded by shooting a speck of light at Wu Kongxue.

Both parties engaged in head-on collisions, evasion, sneak attacks, assaults with magical treasures, and a chaotic barrage of talismans...

In an instant, explosions rocked the area one after another. What forces did True Master Ming Liang and Wu Kongxue represent? They were both superlative masters of the Twelfth Tribulation, and when they fought with all their might, how could the humble Capital remain unscathed? Explosions boomed without end, and the blood-colored mist enveloped the sky.

...

The heavy and thick blood-red mist, with a stench that would make ordinary Mortals feel nauseous and terrified, shrouded the sky above the Capital. Everyone in the Capital felt as if "the sky was low and the earth was high," and simultaneously experienced the sensation that the end of days had arrived. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Wu Kongxue

"Ah, divine punishment, it’s divine punishment!"

A Scholar ran in a panic, and in his carelessness stumbled and fell to the ground. The streets of the Capital were flooded with people frantically running for their lives, quickly trampling the Scholar to death as his bones shattered, the pale fragments piercing through his flesh — a ghastly sight. Yet, almost no one noticed this scene.

Because... it was the end of the world!

This scene was playing out everywhere.

"Boom!"

True Master Ming Liang dodged a strike from Wu Kongxue, which then slammed into the streets of the Capital. It instantly radiated a blinding light as if the sun had unleashed its full brilliance. The attack, with the point of impact as its center, spread hundreds of meters in all directions, turning everything within that range to powder. Within several miles, buildings collapsed, crushing countless Mortals beneath them, and their blood dyed the streets of the Capital red.

"Little Ying, Little Ying, come back quickly," a woman called out anxiously.

Who says that the most terrifying thing is a war between Dynasties? Even in war, Mortals still have a chance to escape or have the ability to resist and fight desperately.

However, when a Twelfth Tribulation Independent Demon and a Twelfth Tribulation Independent Immortal fight as fiercely as this, it’s akin to the end of days. Mortals could only run for their lives, without a sliver of ability to resist; they could only hope in their hearts that the explosions wouldn’t come down upon them.

Two streaks of light shot through the sky with incredible speed.

In an instant, they flew from the eastern outskirts to the western outskirts of the Capital. Along their path, the air itself exploded, and the two mighty combatants unleashed their True Fires. Neither was willing to back down. Wu Kongxue sought desperately to seize the Sky-breaking Map, and True Master Ming Liang was equally determined to protect it.

The Capital of the Qin Dynasty groaned and wailed under the struggle of these two mighty combatants.

City walls crumbled, houses toppled, palaces exploded, limbs were torn asunder, blood flowed freely, and cries of anguish filled the land...

Tragic.

Whether it was the common folks or the Princes and Nobles, in the face of this overwhelming, irresistible force, their prayers were the same—to plead for divine protection, hoping that the attacks of these two superpower combatants wouldn’t fall anywhere near them.

...

Inside the Thunder Mountain Residence, Qin Zheng’s face was overcast with shadows. Under his command were three protectors, one in the Middle-Stage Cave Void Realm and two in the Early-stage Cave Void Realm. As for Guardian Yang, who was in the Late-stage Cave Void Realm, he had been killed by a low growl from Wu Kongxue earlier without any chance to resist.

If Qin Zheng had been just a hair slower, or if his mental fortitude had been just a bit weaker, he likely would have met the same fate. The three protectors at the Thunder Mountain Residence had been living there all along.

"Your Majesty, I used my Spiritual Sense to inspect the area, taking the Imperial Study Room as the center. Nearly sixty percent of the Imperial Palace has been completely reduced to dust by that roar. As for the other forty percent... it also exploded under the fierce battle of the two great powers," reported Liang Shen, the protector in the Mid Cave Void Stage, with respect.

Qin Zheng’s expression changed.

"You mean to say, aside from me, everyone else in my Imperial Palace is dead?" Qin Zheng could hardly accept this outcome.

Liang Shen hastened to reply, "Your Majesty, not everyone is dead. Initially, those who were within the range of that superpowered Independent Demon’s roar were killed, except for you. As for the other forty percent of the palace, despite the devastation caused by the combatants’ Powerful Energy, when the Independent Demon roared, the surviving Princes, Princesses, and concubines took refuge in the underground chambers."

Qin Zheng felt slightly relieved.

"However, Your Majesty, this doesn’t mean much. The strength of those two superpower Independent Practitioners is too overwhelming. Any attack that falls unintentionally, if it’s within dozens of meters, will still kill anyone hiding underground," Liang Shen added.

Qin Zheng grew angry, "Tell me, how many of my Princes are still alive now?"

Liang Shen respectfully answered, "Within that forty percent of the Imperial Palace, originally there were thirteen Princes, and now... six remain. These six are currently hiding in the underground chambers. However, without the protection of Thunder Mountain Residence, should they be affected by the attacks of those two superpower Independent Practitioners, they are likely to lose their lives."

Two Twelfth Tribulation Independent Practitioners.

Even a casual, stray attack from them within a few dozen meters would undoubtedly result in death, even underground. And within a few hundred meters on the surface, death was certain. Within a few thousand meters, buildings would collapse.

Qin Zheng, being underground and protected by Thunder Mountain Residence, was safe. Unless those two superpower Independent Practitioners intentionally aimed to kill him, their stray attacks would not be able to penetrate Thunder Mountain Residence.

"Six... After this battle is over, who knows how many will remain?" Qin Zheng’s heart was filled with helplessness and hatred.

"What about the Empress and the others?" Qin Zheng asked further.

The three thousand ladies of the harem were all in one area, and according to Qin Zheng’s guess, that area must be within the attack range of the low roar from that super Independent Cultivator at the beginning. It was very likely... that all the ladies and concubines were dead, Qin Zheng just found it very hard to accept, so he asked Liang Shen.

Liang Shen shook his head helplessly.

"Consort Wan, Lady Ling..."

Remembering the familiar concubines, Qin Zheng felt a surge of heartache.

"Ah~~~~~" Qin Zheng roared in a low voice, his entire body trembling, his fists clenched tightly, his fingernails digging into his palms, blood dripping drop by drop.

"Your Majesty, there is one concubine who is still alive, the mother of the Fifth Prince, Consort Gong; Consort Gong and the Fifth Prince are both hiding in an underground chamber of the Fifth Prince’s residence, and they are still alive as of now," Liang Shen suddenly spoke.

Qin Zheng was startled.

"There’s one more?"

It didn’t take long for Qin Zheng to recall that last night he had visited Consort Gong, who had mentioned she wanted to visit her son today. Unexpectedly, Consort Gong had managed to escape danger.

Of course, whether they could stay alive was another matter.

After all... the two super Independent Cultivators were still madly fighting each other.

Time passed.

"Your Majesty, peace has returned to the skies above the Capital, it seems those master Cultivators have all left," Liang Shen suddenly said. True Master Ming Liang and Wu Kongxue, what immense power they possessed, and how astonishing was their speed? In just a moment, they had moved thousands of miles to the south.

******

In order to prevent True Master Ming Liang from using Instantaneous Movement to escape, Wu Kongxue continuously emitted terrifying powerful energy waves along the way that shook the space, leaving all buildings they passed reduced to powder and turning any Mortal or Cultivator caught in their path into shattered flesh and blood.

The Bloody Road.

This continued slaughter was the first time that Wu Kongxue and True Master Ming Liang, having reached their current realms and statuses, had fought so desperately.

Neither of them cared about the Mortals who were caught in their conflict, starting from the Qin Dynasty Capital and fighting southwards at high speed, passing through dozens of cities along the way. Although most of the cities didn’t suffer as badly as the Qin Dynasty Capital, the buildings were almost entirely destroyed, and at least half of the population was lost.

From the Qin Dynasty Capital to the Ming Dynasty’s Lan Shan City.

This warpath, spanning tens of thousands of miles, became the Bloody Road, with the death toll of Mortals reaching tens of millions, surpassing the casualties from a war. Especially since dozens of cities were destroyed, the economic losses were staggering.

"Haha... Wu Kongxue, the Sky-breaking Map is destined to be ours now, you can stop dreaming," laughed True Master Chi Yang of the Purple Sun Sect, as the faction of Cultivators who had been hiding finally showed themselves.

Among them, there was the Twelfth Tribulation Independent Practitioner True Master Ming Liang, as well as four Eleventh Tribulation Independent Cultivators: True Master Ming Shan, True Master Lan Bing, True Master Chi Yang from the Purple Sun Sect, and Xue Yuyang from the Lanyang Sect. Among these four, Xue Yuyang from the Lanyang Sect was the strongest.

True Master Ming Liang confronted Wu Kongxue.

Xue Yuyang of the Lanyang Sect fought against Wu Hei.

True Master Chi Yang battled the Fire Demon.

True Master Lan Bing faced off against Lady Lian Yue.

Meanwhile, True Master Ming Shan led another ten Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Tribulation Independent Cultivators in a fierce battle against more than a dozen enemy Cultivators.

This was an earth-shattering conflict between the Demon Path and the Immortal Path sides in the Mortal World’s strongest battle, stretching from the Qin Dynasty Capital all the way to the Ming Dynasty’s southernmost city, Lan Shan City, and then directly onto the boundless ocean. Above the vast sea, both sides fought without restraint.

True Master Ming Liang’s face showed a hint of ruthlessness as he raised his right hand flat, with the tip of his index finger emitting an extremely dazzling point of light, like the sun in its brilliance. For a moment, it seemed as if the glow of the sun itself was eclipsed by this single point of light.

Wu Kongxue’s expression changed.

"So, you’re willing to throw your life away." Wu Kongxue knew the power of True Master Ming Liang’s move. It was a technique that would hurt the enemy a thousand but self-inflict eight hundred, and True Master Ming Liang wouldn’t use it unless it was a matter of life and death.

But, without repelling Wu Kongxue, True Master Ming Liang couldn’t possibly escape.

"Dianxing—Breaking Space!"

A streak of light passed through.

Space seemed to be pierced by that single point, creating a tiny hole, as the light continued to shoot towards Wu Kongxue. Wherever the light passed, space was completely torn apart.

A terrifying suction force emerged from that spatial rift, and the speed of the light was simply too fast. Wu Kongxue’s face turned pale, he clenched his teeth, his face instantly flushed red, as if his entire skin was boiling, and his whole body transformed into a blood-colored light to evade from afar.

"Go."

With a low shout from True Master Ming Liang, his figure flashed to a stable area in space, and then he instantly used Instantaneous Movement and disappeared.

Once True Master Ming Liang escaped, the other Independent Practitioners naturally did not linger for battle, each escaping and using Instantaneous Movement to disappear.

This battle...

Both the Demon Path and Immortal Path sides suffered injuries, light or heavy, amongst the Eleventh Tribulation Independent Cultivators, while many a master from the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Tribulations were killed amidst the desperate fight.

Wu Kongxue, Lady Lian Yue, the Fire Demon, Wu Hei, and a group of others all had gloomy expressions.

"These cowards," the Fire Demon roared with anger.

"Let’s return to Tenglong Continent immediately, no matter what, we must reclaim what we’ve lost. Hmph, Ming Liang." Wu Kongxue had never been at such a loss before; the Sky-breaking Map, which was almost within his grasp, had been snatched away midway by someone else, how could he not be furious?

"Go."

At Wu Kongxue’s command, all the Independent Demons immediately used Instantaneous Movement, heading towards Gold Wood Island at the fastest speed.

And just after they disappeared for a while...

Several figures appeared above the recently fought-over sea area, leading them was the controller of the core region of Primordial Wilderness, and the ruler of Primordial Wilderness—Yu Liang.

(The first Chapter for today ends here, another Chapter will be posted around 7 or 8 this evening. From now on, updates will follow this routine, before 2 pm at noon.)

(To be continued, for the continuation of this story, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, where you can find more Chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)