Prince Qing clenched his fists and held them in front of his chest, panting heavily.
For a body cultivator like him who had almost reached the peak, the injuries on his body should be nothing. As long as he circulated his Blood Qi, he would recover.
But now, a scarlet flower of blood had exploded from his chest. Blood flowed out like a waterfall, unable to heal at all.
Because at this moment, his wound was full of surging Sword Will that could not be removed, preventing his Blood Qi from circulating.
As long as the Sword Will did not dissipate, his Blood Qi would not be able to.
Prince Qing raised his arm again, but this time, he did not throw a punch. Instead, he wiped away the blood that had seeped out of his mouth or nose.
The pale-faced King Qing raised his head and stared at Li Qiubai as he revealed the profundities behind it. "It's still in its embryonic form, but it already possesses such might. Li Qiubai, how can one imagine what it would be like if you were to return to the Sword Immortal realm and use the entire world as your sword?"
Li Qiubai did not reply. His mind moved.
White clouds changed color, and the wind and clouds surged. Another cloud sword formed between heaven and earth.
Its power was not inferior to the previous sword.
Prince Qing saw this and could not help but tremble.
The power of the previous sword was still vivid in his mind!
He was no match for Li Qiubai.
There was no doubt.
The tip of the cloud sword was pointed at Prince Qing.
Li Qiubai was not in the mood to listen to his praise, nor did he have the time to argue with him. He asked directly, "Now, can we talk properly?"
"Haha … of course." Prince Qing swallowed a mouthful of blood. His body was slightly unsteady, and he looked very carefree and resigned to his fate. "Since I'm no match for you, what else is there to talk about?"
As a Martial Emperor who had reached the peak of cultivators, he could not be as shameless and stubborn as ordinary cultivators.
"Donglin, Qianniao, and Great Peace City are empty. Millions of humans have disappeared, and all the clues point to your bloodline. How do you explain this?" Li Qiubai narrowed his eyes, and his killing intent grew stronger.
Prince Qing's expression changed slightly when he heard this. He looked quite embarrassed.
However, Li Qiubai was staring at him with sword-like eyes, stabbing him repeatedly. He could not afford to be perfunctory.
In the end, this new Martial Emperor who had been in the limelight for thousands of years slowly lowered his proud head in front of the old Sword Immortal who had been famous for a long time.
He said slowly, "There are two ways to temper one's Blood Qi and the Great Path of Strength. The first is to repeatedly temper the body and generate Blood Qi. The second is to gather external objects to strengthen oneself."
What Prince Qing said was easy to understand.
The first method referred to a body cultivator forging a strong physical body. Naturally, one's Qi and blood would become stronger and more vigorous.
The second method was actually to replenish one's Qi and blood through medicinal pills, spiritual herbs, and even the flesh and blood of demonic beasts.
Li Qiubai remained silent, waiting for the Prince of Qing's next explanation.
"Among the Demons of the Blood, the Blood, and the of the Blood blood Art.
Through the "Blood" character, they could collect blood essence and refine it into blood essence.
Others only need to consume the Blood Essence to increase their own Qi and blood, strengthen their fleshly body, and even increase their strength. "Prince Qing became increasingly solemn.
"To Body Cultivators, blood essence is the most precious and miraculous treasure. It can help them continuously break through to the next realm."
"After I became a Martial Emperor, I focused on the Great Path of the Heavens. I almost ignored my subordinates.
"In the end, because of my negligence, my eldest son, Xia Jing, secretly communicated with the Demons and reached an agreement.
He sent humans to the Demons in exchange for the blood of the Demons. In this way, he continuously improved his cultivation.
He called this transaction the exchange of blood. "
"Xia Jing was the most outstanding of my children. His cultivation had reached the ninth level. I trusted him enough, but I found it hard to believe that he would do such a thing.
Therefore, I allowed him to use my influence to do something against human morals. I only found out about this a few days ago and wanted to settle the score with him.
"I didn't expect him to feel that he had been exposed and was unwilling to be captured. He resolutely carried out a brutal massacre in the cities of the Da Xia Kingdom. He wanted to refine enough Blood Qi in the shortest time possible in an attempt to break through to the Martial Emperor realm and have the power to resist me.
"My reaction was too slow. In addition, he was too ruthless. Therefore, a moment of carelessness led to the destruction of the three cities.
"I was in a hurry to deal with him and didn't have the time to deal with the matter of the three cities. This led to these disturbances and led you here."
"You sent the black-armored cultivators of Great Peace City?" Li Qiubai asked coldly. "You killed unrelated cultivators just to prevent news from leaking?"
Speaking of this, King Qing laughed bitterly and said helplessly, "I, Xia Qing, killed countless Demons in the Extraterritorial Battlefield when I was young. I was regarded as the Divine General of the Da Xia Kingdom. My cultivation was unparalleled and I was respected by many cultivators. Yet, such a disgraceful person appeared among my descendants …
"I've let down the Dao Ancestor and the human cultivators who sacrificed themselves in the Extraterritorial Battlefield.
But no matter what, I have to suppress this matter. Although I hope to preserve my reputation, but … "King Qing paused and said in a low voice," It's definitely not just for myself. It's also for the greater good. "
The new Martial Emperor suddenly raised his head and looked directly into Li Qiubai's eyes. "Sword Immortal Chang 'an should understand that if this matter were to spread and everyone knew about it, it would cause a great impact."
He raised his right hand and said seriously, "First, it would cause a crisis in the human cultivators' trust in the Da Xia Kingdom and lead to internal instability."
The Imperial Family of the Da Xia Kingdom, who were regarded as the protectors of the human race, had taken the initiative to sacrifice the human race in exchange for resources from the Demons to strengthen themselves.
Once this act of "embezzlement" was exposed, it would definitely cause a great uproar and lead to all kinds of turmoil. It would affect the prestige of the Da Xia Kingdom and cause many people to lose trust in the Da Xia Kingdom.
"This matter only concerns my lineage, but in the eyes of the outside world, the Da Xia Kingdom's Imperial Family is one entity.
Even if Xia Jing didn't know anything about it and didn't participate in it, he would still be implicated and face a lot of trouble. I think Sword Immortal Chang 'an wouldn't want to see this happen. "
At this point, King Qing wasn't just analyzing the pros and cons, he was even starting to play the emotional card.
He was sure that Li Qiubai would take into account the Da Xia Kingdom's Lord in Chang 'an and wouldn't want to cause him too much trouble.
"So?" Li Qiubai asked calmly.
Seeing Li Qiubai's reaction, King Qing couldn't figure out what he was thinking. He could only grit his teeth and continue, "I've already captured Xia Jing and imprisoned him in Qing City's prison. I won't let him off just because he's my eldest son."
"I want to see it." Li Qiubai naturally wouldn't believe King Qing's one-sided words.
King Qing didn't refuse and looked as if he had a clear conscience. "Sword Immortal, please come with me."
He gasped for breath, the wound on his chest still hurting.
But he couldn't care too much about it.
At this moment, Li Qiubai silently dispersed the cloud sword he'd condensed with the power of heaven and earth.
Two silhouettes flashed across the undulating Blue Underworld.
The next moment.
In the underground prison of Qing City.
It was very dark here, devoid of any signs of life. It was lifeless, and there wasn't even the slightest sound.
Two figures suddenly appeared.
King Qing and Li Qiubai.
Li Qiubai had a strange look on his face. He stood in the prison and silently looked across.
There was a skinny male cultivator who looked like a hanged ghost. He was surrounded by dense Yin Qi.
He wasn't wearing any clothes. His naked body was covered with cracks like porcelain. Blood flowed out incessantly, but the blood that flowed out was black and red. There was no sign of life at all.
The man's life essence was constantly flowing away.
The body of a body cultivator was supposed to be incomparably strong. But now, it was shriveled and withered like a mummy. Its surface was full of potholes, so deep that the bones could be seen. It was beyond recognition.
Several profound black chains that exuded cold air penetrated deep into his flesh, firmly restraining him where he was.
This was the "culprit" behind the Blood Exchange Deal and the disaster of the three cities. He was King Qing's eldest son, a level-nine cultivator, Xia Jing!
"Father." Seeing King Qing walk in, Xia Jing raised his head with difficulty. An indecipherable smile appeared on his bloodless face. "You're here …"
King Qing sighed deeply.
It was as if he was deeply regretful that his most trusted and valued eldest son had become like this.
"This is my eldest son, Xia Jing," King Qing said.
"Because I still need to interrogate him about the details of his collusion with the Demons over the years, and then suppress the Demons for revenge, I haven't killed him yet. Instead, I've imprisoned him here."
"You're saying that he gave humans to the Demons through the Blood Exchange Deal in exchange for the Demons to refine his Blood Essence?"
Li Qiubai frowned. "Then how did he make the deal with the Demons? There's only one passage from the Middle Heaven Domain to the Demon Domain, and that's the Extraterritorial Battlefield.
But with Yan Lan Pass in the way, neither you nor the Demons should be able to send humans into the Demon Domain. "
Yan Lan Pass was the Middle Heaven Domain's main city pass. It was jointly guarded by the Da Xia Kingdom's royal family and the Divination Temple.
Even the Prince of Qing was unable to cover the sky with one hand in Yanlan Pass and silently send the Human Race into the Demon Realm, much less his insignificant son.
King Qing's expression turned solemn as he said in a deep voice, "That's because there's a second Space Passage in the Middle Heaven Domain that leads to the Demons' Tianmen Domain."
Li Qiubai raised his eyebrows.
This was a very frightening thing.
Humans were already lacking in strength. Guarding Yan Lan Pass was already extremely difficult. If a second Space Passage appeared in the same domain, they would be forced to divide their forces. It was inevitable that they wouldn't be able to do anything at all.
However, he also knew that there must be a follow-up.
This Space Passage shouldn't be so simple. If it was really the same as the Space Passage guarded by Yan Lan Pass, the Demons wouldn't have been so calm all these years. They would have used this as an excuse to launch an attack on both sides.
"Fortunately, this Space Passage is very unstable and extremely fragile. It can't bear the passage of existences with too much power. Otherwise, it might collapse at any time.
In this regard, it can be said to be extremely useless. I didn't expect that the Demons would find a use for it and use it to transport humans, "King Qing explained.
"Sword Immortal, please rest assured. After I've investigated everything, I'll definitely punish Xia Jing. He'll pay with his life," he promised again.
"The souls of tens of millions of humans in Heaven can't be comforted by him alone," Li Qiubai said coldly as he looked at King Qing.
The corners of King Qing's mouth twitched slightly, and a deep shadow flashed in his eyes. His pupils suddenly contracted, and after a few breaths, he said word by word, "I've already captured all the cultivators who participated in the Blood Exchange and the Disaster of the Three Cities. I've killed most of them, and now there's a small number of them imprisoned in other prisons."
"That's not enough," Li Qiubai calmly shook his head.
King Qing's face had already begun to twitch. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll explain the details of this matter to Xia Hou and send Xia Jing to Chang 'an. Xia Hou can do whatever he wants with him, regardless of whether he lives or dies."
Although he wanted Xia Jing to live a life worse than death, he still cared about their friendship and wanted his eldest son to die by his hand … Li Qiubai thought to himself, and a chill ran down his spine.
Even if Xia Jing died a hundred times, it wouldn't be enough to comfort the souls of so many humans in Heaven. Why was King Qing thinking so much?
How could he agree?
"That's not enough," Li Qiubai said again.
King Qing was silent for a few seconds. His tone was cold, and his face grew paler. It was unknown whether it was because of his injuries or because he was angry. "Then what do you want?"
"Xia Qing, you connived with your eldest son, Xia Jing, to commit crimes and covered up for him. You even killed innocent cultivators in order to keep the news of the Disaster of the Three Cities a secret.
You've committed crimes everywhere. The first thing you need to do is admit your sins! "
"Li Qiubai, I'm a Martial Emperor, one of the few cultivators with the title of Venerated in the entire human race!
The war with the Demons is on the verge of breaking out, and every bit of strength is urgently needed. Don't tell me you want me to pay with my life for what my son has done? "King Qing sneered, glaring at Li Qiubai.
Li Qiubai shook his head. "I won't meddle too much in the affairs of your imperial family. Xia Hou should decide how to deal with you.
Take your eldest son to Chang 'an and admit your sins to her. She'll make the final decision on how to deal with your bloodline. "
"And if I don't agree?" King Qing panted heavily, as if the injury in his chest had flared up again.
He'd never thought highly of Xia Hou, even if she was the ruler of the Da Xia Kingdom.
"I'm a Martial Emperor. What does Xia Hou have apart from her throne? What right does she have to punish me? "King Qing was so angry that he laughed.
"She still has me," Li Qiubai said in a low voice, emphasizing each word.
King Qing's face was slowly draining of blood.
He felt a great humiliation.
Now that he had become a Martial Monarch and his identity as a Martial Monarch, his status was one of the highest among the human cultivators. He even felt disdain for Xia Hou.
Moreover, Xia Hou had never been able to order him around.
Now, Li Qiubai wanted him, a Martial Emperor, to admit his sins to a girl he'd always looked down on and let her punish him?
A surge of blood rushed to his heart.
"Don't push me too far, Li Qiubai," King Qing said hoarsely.
"If you refuse to admit your sins, even if it's inappropriate, I'll have to do it myself." Li Qiubai's voice was calm, but it was as heavy as a thousand pounds.
For existences at their level, the logic of the world was that simple.
If my sword was harder than your fist, then my words were the truth.
Li Qiubai pointed out, "I don't believe that this was all his idea and that you didn't know anything about it."
He wasn't that naive.
However, this kind of thing was full of twists and turns. It would be too difficult for him to investigate alone.
Therefore, he didn't want to bother with the rest of the details after he figured out the mastermind and left it to Xia Hou.
He believed that Xia Hou would be able to handle it.
"You have to understand that if I were to do it, you'd end up in a terrible state." Li Qiubai sneered, his threat obvious.
He had always been alone and had no ties. He never thought too much and didn't care about the so-called 'big picture'.
If he were to do it, King Qing would end up in a terrible state.
In Xia Hou's position, he would have to consider more and have more misgivings. Prince Qing, on the other hand, would end up in a much better situation.
King Qing's face turned pale.
However, it was too embarrassing for him, a Martial Emperor, to apologize to a girl, a junior he looked down on.
"I've always been a man of my word," the Sword Immortal said again.
"Pfft!"
King Qing, who had been suppressing the sword intent in his wound, spat out a mouthful of blood in a fit of anger.
"Alright … I'll do as you say!" Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, King Qing finally made up his mind. He looked up and spoke through gritted teeth.
Li Qiubai nodded and turned to leave the prison. "I'll give you some time to prepare. When the time comes, I'll personally send you to Chang 'an."
The Sword Immortal quickly disappeared from the prison.
After Li Qiubai left, the infuriated King Qing suddenly reined in his anger.
He looked up at Xia Jing, who no longer resembled a human, and stroked his hand across his face that was as dry as tree bark. "Jing 'er, it's been hard on you. Just hold on a little longer. Just hold on a little longer …"
Xia Jing forced a smile at King Qing. It was ferocious, as if he was crying and laughing at the same time. "It's good that I can help father."
"Hehe …" King Qing lowered his eyes and muttered to himself, "Li Qiubai, oh Li Qiubai. So what if you're the best in history?"
"Your talent has made your life too smooth. That's why you think too simply of many things. You'll never be able to see through them."
Li Qiubai's reaction was completely within his calculations.
How could a Sword Immortal whose life had been smooth-sailing be a match for a wily old fox like him, who had been scheming for ten thousand years?
Go to Chang 'an and apologize?
That was exactly what he wanted.
"My final step is to be completed in Chang 'an."
Li Qiubai wanted him to go to Chang 'an and apologize to Xia Jing. That was exactly what he wanted!
"The way of man is to take advantage of what is not enough …" King Qing murmured.
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