Chapter 249 – Under Heaven All Land Belongs to the King, All Shores Bow to the King…

Lu Chen’s hundred days of preparation were all for this very moment.

Yet Zhao Zhongming remained completely unaware of all this.

After all, he knew neither of Lu Chen’s Righteous Azure Lotus Sword Domain nor the Spirit Sword effects of his Shangqing Cloud Sword.

Naturally, he couldn’t have anticipated Lu Chen’s methods—though not Formations, they surpassed Formations in power.

Within the Academy, after using his supreme Luck to withstand the suppression of Lu Chen’s Mountain of Corpses Sea of Blood Sword Domain, Zhao Zhongming had already advanced to within ten paces of Lu Chen.

This was a distance that countless Gu Humanoids had previously failed to reach even at the cost of their lives, yet Zhao Zhongming accomplished it with ease.

However, for some reason, upon reaching this distance, Zhao Zhongming didn’t rush to attack Lu Chen but instead came to a halt.

Though situated within Lu Chen’s Sword Domain, Zhao Zhongming used his astonishing Dynastic Luck to forcibly carve out a territory of his own within this Sword Domain.

Clad in a Dragon Robe and wearing a Golden Crown, Zhao Zhongming naturally exuded an aura of imperial dominance.

Even surrounded by Karma-laden vengeful spirits seeking his life, he appeared completely oblivious.

That overwhelming, world-dominating Aura made it seem as if he were the very center of the universe, around whom all others must revolve.

For his part, Lu Chen, for reasons unknown, also chose not to strike at this moment.

Thus, the two fell into an eerie standoff.

This scene left most people in the Academy Inner Courtyard bewildered, unsure of what the two were actually doing.

Only Yi Hanqing, Xing Li, and Juechen seemed to discern some clues, their expressions turning contemplative.

Among all present, perhaps only one person understood the reason for this mutual confrontation.

That was Cloud Deer, who possessed cultivation at the Deity Transformation Stage.

The reason neither Lu Chen nor Zhao Zhongming was in a hurry to act was actually quite simple:

Neither had yet found the other’s weakness.

Although Zhao Zhongming could borrow the Imperial Artifact to gain supreme Luck, using it to neutralize Lu Chen’s Sword Domain, neutralizing it did not mean immunity.

Lu Chen’s Mountain of Corpses Sea of Blood Sword Domain still exerted some influence on him.

It was just that this influence was outweighed by the rate at which his own Luck replenished.

However, the Sword Domain was only one aspect; Zhao Zhongming’s goal had never been limited to merely breaking one of Lu Chen’s Sword Domains.

It was important to note that from his appearance until now, Lu Chen had already displayed two Sword Domains.

One was the Sword-Intent True Dragon coiling behind Lu Chen, and the other was the Mountain of Corpses Sea of Blood enveloping them both.

If these were the only two Sword Domains, Zhao Zhongming would naturally have no fear.

But Lu Chen had remained far too composed from start to finish.

So composed that Zhao Zhongming was convinced Lu Chen must still be hiding some trump card.

Until he uncovered what that trump card was, he dared not act recklessly.

Because if he couldn’t achieve a one-strike kill, he might very well fall into a trap Lu Chen had prepared in advance.

As the longest-lived and potentially most talented emperor in the history of the Great Ying Dynasty, Zhao Zhongming lacked many things—but patience was not one of them.

Having come this far, with only one step remaining to break the shackles of heaven and earth, he could afford to wait a little longer.On the other side, Lu Chen actually harbored similar thoughts.

Although the power of the Righteous Azure Lotus Sword should already be sufficient to slay Zhao Zhongming at this point, Lu Chen did not want “should”—he demanded “certainty.”

Therefore, the longer time passed, the more advantageous it was for him.

Not to mention that during this period, many Three Realms Gu Cultivators and first or second realm Gu Humanoids had already perished within his Sword Domain.

The Spiritual Power scattered upon their deaths was naturally absorbed by the surrounding Azure Lotus Sword Blossoms, further enhancing their potency.

Thus, Lu Chen grew even less anxious.

Time… was on his side.

One side sought to uncover Lu Chen’s flaws and seize the opportunity for a single decisive strike.

The other aimed to further enhance the power of the sword blossoms, also seeking a one-hit kill.

Though their starting points differed, the outcome converged along the same path.

As a result, the two sides fell into an eerie stalemate.

After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhao Zhongming seemed to grasp something, his expression shifting to one of sudden realization.

He then looked at Lu Chen and spoke calmly, “What you rely on must be those sword blossoms beside you, right?”

Hearing that Zhao Zhongming had discerned his trump card, Lu Chen was not overly surprised.

After all, although the Azure Lotus Sword Blossoms possessed some concealment effects, they still emitted slight disturbances when absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Power.

Even though Lu Chen had done his utmost to mask the traces of these sword blossoms with the Mountain of Corpses Sea of Blood Sword Domain, anyone who carefully searched could still uncover some clues.

Having realized this, Zhao Zhongming made a decision.

“Though I do not know why you are so confident that those strange, Spiritual Power-absorbing flowers can bridge the vast chasm between us, one thing is clear to me: you need time more than I do at this moment.”

“In that case, let us see whether you endure until the sword blossoms bloom or I strike you down first…”

As soon as Zhao Zhongming finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

The next moment, a tall silhouette appeared behind Lu Chen.

Without turning his head, Lu Chen sensed an immense pressure descending upon him from above.

It was an overwhelmingly domineering force—so tyrannical that all other energies in the surrounding space were violently repelled the moment it emerged.

As if within that confined space, that force alone was supreme, permitting no other power to exist alongside it.

The source of this force was none other than the Son of Heaven of the Great Ying Dynasty… Zhao Zhongming.

At this moment, he had raised his right hand and was swiping down toward Lu Chen’s head with a claw-like motion.

The pressure enveloping Lu Chen was the Dynastic Luck released by Zhao Zhongming.

Boom!

Accompanied by a deafening roar, a massive fissure erupted from Lu Chen’s position, extending all the way to the adjacent wall.

The wall itself shattered under the impact.

The most terrifying aspect of this strike was not its staggering force, but the imperial will it carried.

This will even briefly tore open Lu Chen’s Sword Domain, restoring everything in its path to the original appearance of the Academy.

However, this imperial will did not last long. The areas of the Mountain of Corpses Sea of Blood Sword Domain that had been breached were swiftly restored in an extremely short time.Even so, the power of Zhao Zhongming’s claw strike could not be underestimated.

This was the first time since Lu Chen mastered the Sword Domain that he encountered someone at the third Realm—the Golden Core Stage—capable of breaking through his Sword Domain.

Although this breakthrough was achieved through sheer force with no technique involved, a breakthrough was still a breakthrough, plain and simple.

Had that claw strike landed squarely on him instead of being dodged, it would have truly posed a serious problem.

Fully aware of the urgency, Zhao Zhongming gave Lu Chen no room to catch his breath, his figure vanishing once again.

Then, under the terrified gazes of the onlookers, Lu Chen and Zhao Zhongming clashed.

Relying on his formidable Luck Body, Zhao Zhongming’s every move contained earth-shattering power, executed with grand, sweeping motions.

There was an indescribable domineering aura in his every gesture.

On Lu Chen’s side, he had somehow manifested a power similar to Zhao Zhongming’s.

A layer of golden light enveloped Lu Chen’s body, and upon closer inspection, it faintly resembled Dragon Scales.

With the enhancement of this golden light, Lu Chen’s cultivation, Divine Soul, and Physique all experienced a terrifying boost.

Though still far from the overwhelming amplification of Zhao Zhongming’s Dynasty Physique, it narrowed the gap in their cultivation to a visibly smaller degree.

The most direct result was that while Lu Chen’s speed and strength fell short of Zhao Zhongming’s, he was not completely unable to fight back.

In the blink of an eye, their figures continuously intertwined.

Lu Chen, gripping a pale-white long Sword with one hand, repeatedly clashed with Zhao Zhongming’s dragon claws.

With each collision of fist and Sword, Lu Chen’s body would shudder violently.

Had it been an ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, they wouldn’t have been able to hold their ground against Zhao Zhongming, let alone fight to this extent.

Not only did Lu Chen withstand the attacks, but he even managed to avoid being at a disadvantage.

However, all of this was predicated on Zhao Zhongming not yet being accustomed to Lu Chen’s methods.

Within the Academy, their forms shifted continuously, fists and Swords crossing repeatedly—fists attacking, Swords defending.

As he failed to subdue Lu Chen despite his efforts, Zhao Zhongming’s frown deepened.

He had initially believed that after seeing through Lu Chen’s trump cards, he could force them out in a short time.

And as long as those trump cards couldn’t kill him instantly, relying on the special effects of the Dynasty Imperial Artifact—the Great Ying Jade Seal, he could use Dynastic Luck to repair his body and replenish his depleted Spiritual Power in an instant.

Thus, victory would firmly fall into his hands.

But he never expected that even without relying on those miraculous ‘Dao techniques,’ Lu Chen could rival him solely through his own ‘cultivation.’

The conventional distinctions of Realms seemed completely irrelevant when applied to Lu Chen.

This undoubtedly shattered Zhao Zhongming’s original plan and made him realize that if he wanted to defeat Lu Chen, he could no longer hold back even the slightest.

Despite his youth, Lu Chen’s combat experience was profound, his talent exceptional, and his foundation solid, enabling him to disregard age and Realm and reach heights that many could never achieve in a lifetime.

If only the circumstances were different, if only the setting were changed…Zhao Zhongming would have been quite pleased to sit and discuss the Dao with someone like Lu Chen, chatting about cultivation and even trivial matters of daily life.

But unfortunately, this was the final step in his escape from the cage.

He absolutely would not allow anyone to stop him at this moment.

If anyone stood in his way, he would kill gods and slay buddhas!

After another attack, Zhao Zhongming suddenly halted mid-air.

Seeing this, Lu Chen also came to a stop.

Unlike Zhao Zhongming who remained completely unscathed, the sleeve of Lu Chen’s right arm was already in tatters, revealing pale skin beneath.

In truth, Lu Chen hadn’t emerged completely unharmed from his exchanges with Zhao Zhongming.

He had been continuously using his Innate Divine Ability – Reincarnation Time to heal the injuries inside his body.

Otherwise, even with the enhancement from the True Dragon Sword Domain that elevated his basic attributes by several levels,

blocking Zhao Zhongming’s attacks would still be no easy task.

Because the current Zhao Zhongming could no longer be treated as an ordinary third-stage cultivator.

He was a monster with half a foot already in the Nascent Soul Stage.

[Innate Divine Ability: Reincarnation Time]

[Grade: Fourth Stage]

[Effect: After activation, can foresee the target’s situation 10 seconds into the future. The greater the cultivation gap and the more targets, the more Spiritual Power required to maintain the ability.]

[Special Effect – Reverse Time: Can reverse one’s own time by five seconds, returning the body to its state five seconds ago. Cannot restore Spiritual Power. Can consume experience points to purchase additional time reversal – 100,000 experience points per second.]

Theoretically speaking, as long as Zhao Zhongming’s attacks remained at this intensity,

Lu Chen could continuously use ‘Reverse Time’ to heal his injuries,

achieving an effect similar to Zhao Zhongming’s Luck Body.

After all, Lu Chen could easily afford the price of 100,000 experience points per second.

But Lu Chen knew very well that Zhao Zhongming’s methods were definitely not limited to this.

Standing in the sky above the Academy like an emperor surveying his domain, Zhao Zhongming exuded an indescribable authority from his brow.

Looking at Lu Chen, he said seriously: “I must admit that even though I tried my best to overestimate your capabilities, it seems I still underestimated you after actually crossing swords.”

“I originally didn’t want to use that item here, but it appears I have no better choice now…”

As he spoke, a golden object appeared once again in Zhao Zhongming’s hand.

It was a golden scroll with a frame entirely gold, covered in dragon patterns.

The mounting was full of golden threads, seemingly woven from numerous precious materials.

Looking at the scroll in Zhao Zhongming’s hand, Lu Chen slightly frowned.

[Name: Dynasty Imperial Tool – Great Ying Rivers and Mountains Scroll]

[Grade: Third Stage]

[Effect: Within the territory of the Great Ying Dynasty, can appear anywhere in the Great Ying domain at will and freely modify the surrounding environment]

With the imperial seal above his head and the Rivers and Mountains Scroll in his hand, the aura of kingly authority around Zhao Zhongming reached its absolute peak.

Looking at Lu Chen as if viewing a cold corpse, he declared in a dignified tone: “All land under heaven belongs to the king; all people on this land are the king’s subjects.” Standing on my rivers and mountains, how dare you contend with me?”

As he spoke, Zhao Zhongming unfurled the Rivers and Mountains Scroll in his hand.

The next moment, due to changes in the surrounding environment, Lu Chen’s Sword Domain began to shake violently.At this moment, the River and Mountain Imperial Diagram seemed to be contending with Lu Chen’s Sword Domain for control over this stretch of heaven and earth, engaging in an invisible struggle.

The peril of this struggle was even greater than Lu Chen’s previous encounters with Zhao Zhongming.

Because this was a struggle between Dao and Dao.

A battle between Lu Chen and the Luck of an entire dynasty.

For a time, Lu Chen’s mind was heavily occupied in maintaining his Sword Domain.

Seizing this opportunity, Zhao Zhongming arrived behind Lu Chen in an instant.

This time, Lu Chen seemed oblivious to it all, remaining motionless in place.

“As I have said, no one can stop me here…”

With that, Zhao Zhongming clawed toward Lu Chen’s heart.

It appeared Lu Chen could no longer evade this strike…

(End of Chapter)