Everyone had their eyes on Fang Zhengzhi.
But Fang Zhengzhi did not concern himself with the discussion around him. Not with Ping Yang’s breasts rubbing against his arm…
What a soft feeling.
She had grown up indeed!
After being shaken by Ping Yang for some time, he was finally relieved. Forget it. The only reason why this lady would hug him immediately was to protect him while his powers were wasted.
As he was about to forgive her, Fang Zhengzhi snapped back to reality. Ping Yang didn’t have the intention to apologize, and even asked him to fight the Demon King?
And to believe in himself?
“Believe my ass!” Fang Zhengzhi snapped. “Are you blind? It’s the Demon King, can’t you tell?”
“I can tell. But your powers weren’t wasted, right?” Ping Yang was taken aback, then replied as she blinked her eyes and looked at Fang Zhengzhi in anticipation.
“My powers weren’t wasted, but…”
“Your powers really weren’t wasted?! Hahaha, that’s great, that’s great…” Ping Yang was so excited she had cut him off mid-sentence.
And perhaps due to her excitement, she fell in Fang Zhengzhi’s embrace, her pink, supple lips kissed Fang Zhengzhi’s.
In an instant…
Fang Zhengzhi felt her tender, moist lips on his.
And his eyes were wide in surprise.
Even Ping Yang’s eyes, too. She looked as if she had been struck by lightning.
“F*ck!” Fang Zhengzhi felt he was getting taken advantage of. Yet, what’s worse was that Ping Yang had forced a kiss on him, and then pushed him away violently?
What were you doing!
It was you who initiated it!
Fang Zhengzhi really wanted to scold her, as he was well aware who was around him: Emperor Lin Mubai, Consort Hua, and Prince Li of the First Rank.
To scold Ping Yang in the view of so many people?
How would Ping Yang marry in the future!
But he wouldn’t want to make himself marry Ping Yang, right? Well, Ping Yang wasn’t bad, she had grown up and looks feminine…
Yet, Ping Yang was far from his ideal gentle and virtuous lady.
Fang Zhengzhi looked at Lin Mubai from afar and noticed his dazed, pale face staring right at him.
“Your Majesty, it was a misunderstanding! She initiated it!” Fang Zhengzhi really wanted to explain himself.
But apparently, Emperor Lin Mubai did not bother listening to his explanation, his eyes staring straight at Fang Zhengzhi while his body shivered ceaselessly.
“This brat’s powers really weren’t wasted? Not wasted? How could this happen? There was never one whose powers were not wasted after losing his Dao Fruit!”
“Oh? The emperor is talking about my powers?” Fang Zhengzhi listened silently as Emperor Lin Mubai mumbled to himself.
Then he looked at his surroundings once again.
He realized everyone was astounded by that fact. And it seemed as if no one noticed what happened between Ping Yang and him a moment ago.
“Fang Zhengzhi still has his powers? How is this possible?” Lin Xinjue was shocked. He had never expected this.
Whether it was Lin Xinjue, the Dragon Protection Squad, the Royal Guards, or even the Southern Region Army, at that very moment, everyone only had one thing in mind.
Fang Zhengzhi still had his powers!
And he had already admitted it himself.
“Blurgh!” Blood spewed out from Lin Tianrong’s mouth. His clenched his teeth while his body trembled. “Fang Zhengzhi, indeed it was you who burned my study!”
If Lin Tianrong had eliminated the possibility of Fang Zhengzhi being the arsonist due to his wasted powers, then now he could be certain that…
The masked man in the Crown Prince’s residence that day was, in fact, Fang Zhengzhi!
“Your Excellency Fang, bring Ping Yang away!” Prince Li of the First Rank’s voice rang aloud, bringing everyone back to reality.
“Alright!” Fang Zhengzhi agreed without thinking. He had already decided to escape, and now with Prince Li of the First Rank’s words, he had no reason to hesitate.
“No, you kill that Demon King, then save Grandfather and Father!” Ping Yang’s face was blushing but responded quickly upon hearing Prince Li of the First Rank’s words.
“I’m not going.” Fang Zhengzhi rejected as he shook his head.
“Why?” Ping Yang was confused.
“Nonsense, because I can’t defeat him!” Fang Zhengzhi really didn’t want to say this, but he still said it simply because it was the hard truth.
Couldn’t defeat him…
How then shall he fight?
Did he really want to seek death?
“You can’t defeat him? But didn’t you fight Canyang a year ago?” Ping Yang asked in suspicion.
“I fought Canyang?” Fang Zhengzhi felt helpless.
“Uh…” Ping Yang dazed momentarily and quickly snapped back. Indeed, Fang Zhengzhi had such a fight, but Fang Zhengzhi never defeated Canyang. But Ping Yang pouted her lips and reluctantly said: “But… it has been more than a year since?”
“Yes, more than a year had passed.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.
“So, what is your state now? You have some breakthroughs, right? You’re in the Rebirth State, right? Have you reached the peak of the Rebirth State like Aunt Hua? Or have you reached Half Sage? Yes, you must have reached Half Sage, right? Since you’re Half Sage, what’s there to fear? So what if he is Demon King, you have the power to fight!” Ping Yang showed her anticipation once again.
“Did I say I have reached Half Sage?” Fang Zhengzhi curled his lips.
“It’s not Half Sage? Is it… you’ve reached the Sagely State?!” Ping Yang’s crystal-clear eyes glimmered with joy.
“Sagely State!”
“Fang Zhengzhi reached the Sagely State?!”
“How is this possible? He isn’t even eighteen years old. There had been no one like this in the entire history of Great Xia Dynasty, right?”
The Dragon Protection Squad and the Royal Guards were absolutely stunned.
Fang Zhengzhi was speechless. Reached the Sagely State? He wondered if he would look as pitiful as he was now, had he really reached the Sagely State.
“Do I look like I have reached the Sagely State?” Fang Zhengzhi asked instead of responding to her childish questions.
“Not really…” Ping Yang gave a serious look at Fang Zhengzhi and realized she had thought too much. If he had really reached the Sagely State, he wouldn’t have said he could not defeat King Xieluo. “But… even if you were just at Rebirth State, you could try!”
“Are you so sure I’m at Rebirth State?” Fang Zhengzhi opened his hands in helplessness. He seemed to understand why Emperor Lin Mubai and the others were so surprised when they heard his powers were not wasted.
It seemed it wasn’t just Ping Yang.
Everyone thought he had a breakthrough.
More than a year ago, when Fang Zhengzhi reached Heavenly Reflection State from Star Conglomerate State, the Great Xia Dynasty was astounded. Then, when he had attained the Supernatural State at the Southern Region…
He still remembered everyone’s expressions.
How was it possible!
How could he reach the Supernatural State!
It was utter disbelief. No one could fathom how he could achieve continuous breakthroughs in such a short span of time.
But now…
It was the opposite. Everyone thought he had a breakthrough, yet, who said it was a rule to achieve a breakthrough after a year?
“You’re not at Rebirth State? Then what state have you reached?” Ping Yang froze briefly.
“Supernatural State!” Fang Zhengzhi replied nonchalantly.
“Supernatural State?! How are you at Supernatural State!” Ping Yang was flabbergasted. When she knew Fang Zhengzhi had not achieved a breakthrough, she was elated.
But…
What did Supernatural State mean?!
His powers had not increased. Why was he still at Supernatural State after more than a year? Wasn’t he supposed to achieve breakthrough after breakthrough?
It was just Ping Yang who was surprised.
When the Dragon Protection Squad and Royal Guards heard “Supernatural State” from Fang Zhengzhi, they were floored.
“Supernatural State?”
“How is Fang Zhengzhi still at Supernatural State?”
“What is going on? Didn’t he reach Supernatural State more than a year ago? Have his powers remained as it was since then?”
“Oh, I get it. Fang Zhengzhi had lost his Dao Fruit. Though his powers were not wasted, he can never the increase his powers!”
“I see. It seems Fang Zhengzhi is stuck at Supernatural State. What a pity!”
The Dragon Protection Squad and Royal Guards exchanged looks and finally understood the situation. But when they looked at Fang Zhengzhi again, they seemed a little odd.
Because they knew clearly that, no matter how mighty a genius might be, when his powers could not advance, he would eventually be mediocre.
“Hahaha…” Qian Wu’s laughter arose, apparently mocking him. “I thought he was some talented genius, but now his powers are unable to advance? Hahaha… such a waste of time. Never mind, I’ll do you some good. I’ll let you reincarnate and achieve your Rebirth State!”
As he finished his sentence, a gold cylinder appeared on his hand.
“Whoosh!”
A ray of red light emerged from the gold cylinder, beaming into the sky.
“Signal?!” The Dragon Protection Squad and Royal Guards were stunned upon seeing this. They wanted to stop it but it was too late.
Because after the ray of red light beamed upwards, a dark green ray lit up in the sky. A fusion of four hues of green rays.
“Bang!”
The dark green ray cascaded from the heavens, transforming into a pillar of light, crashing onto the giant Near-Life Gate erected on the ground.
And at the same time, characters of six colors lit up on Qian Wu’s hand, threads of light joined the characters together.
“Near-Life Gate, open!” Qian Wu bellowed as he forced his palm on the ground.
“Boom!”
The ground was shaking. The Near-Life Gate which was previously shut started moving again. The giant bronze door slowly opened, revealing a pitch darkness inside.
But shortly, rays of red, blue, green, and other colors of light shone in the darkness. They grew, they proliferated, until it was like a dazzling array of countless stars.
Yet the rays of light seemed completely mysterious. Strangely cold and threatening.
“How is this possible? Qian Wu can reopen the Near-Life Gate!”
“It’s the Four Ancient Formations. As long as the Four Ancient Formations isn’t broken, it can continue to amass power, and the Near-Life Gate can be opened again!”
“Then, what will happen? Will there be another Demon King?”
“No. Even if the Holy Barbarian Empire was filled with sages, there would never appear another Demon King. If I have guessed correctly, it is the Commander of the Beasts!”
“Commander of the Beasts? No, we have to stop him!”
“It’s too late. The Near-Life Gate can only be controlled by the one who masters the Near-Life Path, and once it is open, it can no longer be closed!”
But upon witnessing the reopening of the Near-Life Gate, everyone was stunned. The Dragon Protection Squad, the Royal Guards, and even the Palace Guards and the Southern Region Army stopped whatever they were doing.
It was at this moment…
They finally knew Qian Wu’s true motives.
They knew why Qian Wu had to enter the palace, and why he planned for Lin Xinjue to rush here for a rescue.
One reason was the quest for the throne between the crown prince and Lin Xinjue. But more importantly, Qian Wu wanted the palace to be separated from the outside world. As long as he was in the palace and the Four Ancient Formations was not broken, this battle would never end.
“In a moment, just a moment, the Near-Life Gate would open once again. Your Highness, King Duan, do you now regret your choice?” Qian Wu looked the bewildered Lin Xinjue from far away and asked, revealing a smirk.
“I… I have never regretted it!” Lin Xinjue paled slightly, then clenched his teeth and answered.
“Hahaha, that’s great!” Qian Wu smiled again, then he turned towards Fang Zhengzhi. “Fang Zhengzhi, you dare to spoil my plans, today you must…”
Qian Wu did not finish with “die”.
Because Fang Zhengzhi was gone. He had disappeared from his position. But more peculiarly, Ping Yang was still there.
“He escaped?! Alone?” Qian Wu froze. Then he smirked once again: “Good, that’s what that shameless person would do!”
Qian Wu’s eyes were filled with contempt. But soon enough, he noticed something was off. Ping Yang’s eyes were fixed on something.
And it wasn’t just Ping Yang…
Everyone was staring in a single direction.
“What are they looking at?” Qian Wu thought to himself and looked in that direction. Then, just like everyone else, he was completely puzzled.
They were all looking at the Near-Life Gate.
There was a figure standing at the Gate, one who was wearing a fresh new set of imperial attire.
“Fang Zhengzhi hasn’t escaped?” Qian Wu was baffled. Then he saw Fang Zhengzhi gesturing in front of the Near-Life Gate with both hands. “What is he trying to do? Blocking the Gate with his own body? Hahaha…”
Qian Wu laughed out loud upon seeing this.
Of course, he was able to guess what Fang Zhengzhi was doing: trying to destroy the Near-Life Gate. But it was utterly foolish of him. Childish even.
The Near-Life Gate!
The most precious treasure of the Holy Barbarian Empire.
How could it be destroyed so easily?
Not to mention Fang Zhengzhi with his Supernatural State, even the Emperor himself could not leave a scratch on the Near-Life Gate.
“Indeed, he’s so silly and gull-” Qian Wu didn’t manage to finish his remark, and his eyes stared so wide they could almost pop out, his mouth opened the largest it could stretch.
It was shocking beyond words.
Not only Qian Wu…
At this very moment, everyone shared the same expression. Even Prince Li of the First Rank and King Xieluo.
“Crack!” It was a deafening noise.
The Near-Life Gate that was originally slowly opening rose up in the air. Or rather, it was lifted up in the air.
Lifted!
Someone lifted the Near-Life Gate?!
How was this possible!
Total silence.
It was as though the world had stood still. The night breeze blew past countless wide eyes and stunned faces.
“Dong!”
“Dong, dong…”
These were the sounds of the bronze that shook the hearts of everyone present, resounding through the night sky…
“What a surprise, it’s actually this light?” Fang Zhengzhi stopped after a few knocks, grumbling amusedly.
“Roar!”
At this moment, a giant beast roared loudly. Though it was shocked like the others, it didn’t just stand still like Qian Wu.
Upon hearing Fang Zhengzhi knock on the Near-Life Gate, it responded as it could.
And after that loud roar…
The giant beast lunged toward Fang Zhengzhi, opening its mouth fiercely. It was not difficult to imagine it swallowing him whole.
“Ah, you little one. Dare to sneak an attack on me?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the beast charging towards him, his lips curled in a smile. Then he raised the Near-Life Gate and hurled it at the beast.
The giant beast would never have expected Fang Zhengzhi to smash the Near-Life Gate at it. How could it ever dodge it during a mid-thrust in the air?
“Boom!”
The ground shook with the deafening crash.
Without any resistance, the beast was hit by the Near-Life Gate. Its body sunk with its claws lying on the ground, its head smashed into bits.
It did not even moan in pain. Utterly lifeless.
“It’s dead?!”
Everyone looked at the bloody mess on the ground, the unmoving giant beast. Then they turned to Fang Zhengzhi who had lifted the Near-Life Gate above his height.
Only a thought appeared in their minds.
“This is the Supernatural State?!”