This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 197 The Great Demon Appears

Watching the approaching meteorite, like a mountain of death pressing down, was a suffocating horror, as if it were a demon from the deepest hell, baring its fangs to devour everything.

Under this falling star, no one could escape the fate of death. Xiao Xingchen trembled all over, like a candle flickering in the wind, as if the Martial Emperor was punishing him for his disobedience to the imperial edict.

Since you refuse the royal decree, you will only face death.

At this moment, he seemed to feel the Emperor's overwhelming rage, the ruthless annihilation of a pawn who dared to resist.

When a piece begins to rebel, it is like a discarded doll, losing its value.

Yun Xiyao stood in the distance, gazing at the falling star, her heart filled with astonishment and unease. She hesitated, wondering whether she should intervene to help the man resolve this crisis.

After all, her purpose in coming here was only to test this man's strength. As a fellow descendant of the Demon Emperor, she did not want to easily eliminate Xiao Xingchen.

However, a sense of imbalance welled up inside her like a tidal wave.

The power of the sword, which she herself had failed to obtain, had actually fallen into the hands of that man, and rumors even circulated that the Demon Emperor was his wife. This was something she simply could not accept. The Demon Emperor was high above, ruling over the demon hordes; how could a mere man possibly aspire to such a position?

This is why she insisted on following the Great Qian Dynasty; she wanted to see for herself what this legendary man was capable of.

Unfortunately, upon seeing him, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. This seemingly useless man, aside from his eloquence, appeared to have no other outstanding qualities. Why would the Demon Emperor choose him? This puzzled her greatly.

As the star was about to fall, she took a deep breath, and the sword in her hand flashed like lightning, ready to unleash her true sword intent.

However, to her surprise, just as she was about to make her move, the man at the very center beneath the meteorite suddenly erupted with a terrifying power, like a volcanic eruption.

A gigantic demon, as if it had traveled from ancient times, appeared above his head.

This demon's body is enormous, like an insurmountable mountain, its entire form shrouded in mist, making it difficult to see.

The great demon hidden in the mist had legs like pillars supporting the sky and palms like giant hands holding up the heavens, forcefully lifting the falling star.

With a deafening roar, like a thunderclap, accompanied by blinding white light, it seemed to devour the entire world. In the dim light, one could only sense a colossal demon that blotted out the sky, crushing the meteor back like Mount Tai crushing an egg.

A demonic shadow appeared, and the figures of Xingyun and the great demon shattered simultaneously. In that instantaneous exchange, both were severely injured.

As the Heaven-Sealing Array shattered like glass, it brought unparalleled shock to everyone present.

"I think I saw a demon?"

Li Jinxian's incredulous voice echoed in the air. Looking at Xiao Xingchen in the center of the meteorite, he was shattered, like a candle flickering in the wind, his hair disheveled, his body seemingly crushed into countless fragments, as if he could be blown away by a breeze at any moment.

His face was filled with a violent aura, as if possessed by a demon, and his whole body was tightly wrapped in a black aura, like a demon crawling out of the abyss of hell.

That strange and immense power still echoed in the void for a long time, as if showing the world the breathtaking scene that had just happened.

The meteor shower appeared as suddenly as a storm, and the arrival of the great demon phantom was even more unexpected, like a ghost.

Despite the earth-shattering collision, only a handful of people sensed the presence of the great demon, yet no one was able to glimpse its true form.

Only Yun Xiyao looked astonished. The phantom of that great demon seemed familiar to her, as if she had seen it somewhere far away.

A demonic aura spread rapidly across Yong'an City like a plague, and a faint gray mist shrouded the entire city like a veil.

"What just happened?" Questions arose one after another. They could only see Xiao Xingchen on the verge of death, but they could not find the great demon who had actually stopped the meteor shower.

Huangfu Lingxue and Ruoxue arrived at Xiao Xingchen's side like a whirlwind. Just a moment ago, only they witnessed the awakening of a great demon within Xiao Xingchen's body.

His current tragic state is not due to the fall of a star, but rather because he was unable to withstand the power of a great demon, causing his body to nearly shatter.

"I am fine. Since Emperor Wu has made such a decision, how could I back down?"

A deep voice, like muffled thunder, rang out from Xiao Xingchen's mouth. The black sacrificial ribbons surrounding him writhed like venomous snakes, giving people a chilling illusion.

His eyes widened in fury as he stared intently in the direction of the imperial palace. Since the Martial Emperor was determined to break off all pretense, there was no need for him to feign weakness any longer. If he was going to go mad, then he would show the world what true madness was!

"I am Xiao Xingchen. Today, I have gathered with the geniuses of various nations at the Flower Language Pavilion to discuss important matters. Why does His Majesty the Martial Emperor want to unleash this cruel calamity?"

"Killing me alone is one thing, but why drag the Princess into it as well? What are your true intentions? You've activated the city's protective array, attempting to annihilate us all. Do you expect us to be grateful to His Majesty?"

His voice boomed like thunder throughout the city, and the extraordinary power it contained spread in all directions like surging waves.

This was his first direct confrontation with Emperor Wu since his rebirth. He had always chosen to avoid Emperor Wu, but today's events made him realize that some things cannot be resolved by simply retreating.

The conferment of the title of king was a strategic move orchestrated by Emperor Wu, and his refusal to be granted the title, and even his use of the Ghost Sword to steal the imperial edict, was undoubtedly a blatant act of defiance against Emperor Wu.

Clearly, Emperor Wu would not tolerate his behavior.

He had anticipated the consequences, but he never expected the Martial Emperor to be so resolute. At this moment, Huangfu Lingxue's identity as the Ghost Swordsman has probably been exposed. Otherwise, why would Xingyun have implicated her as well?

The crowd was in an uproar. Under the Heaven-Sealing Formation, apart from those inside, almost no one could understand what was happening inside.

As Xiao Xingchen revealed the secret of heaven, Yong'an City was shaken, and people from various countries who had been hiding in the shadows stepped out of their rooms.

Especially the people in the water, the moment the great demon appeared, they seemed to feel some kind of mysterious summons.

"Good heavens, who is this reckless fool who dares to go head-to-head with the Great Qian Martial Emperor?"

Meng Qianfan's lips twitched slightly as he pondered to himself, "Who else could it be but that good-for-nothing?"

But how could a good-for-nothing cause such a huge uproar?

"I want to go and find out what's going on."

"No, we have important business to attend to in the capital. Let Xiyao handle this matter."

The Grand Elder categorically rejected the idea, yet the doubts in his heart surged like a tidal wave.

Before the towering Flower Language Pavilion, an immense and unfathomable power was gathering, coupled with the pervasive demonic aura, as if a breathtaking battle was taking place.

"You acted impulsively; you're destroying your own foundation!"

Huangfu Lingxue strode forward. She couldn't understand why Xingchen would act so rashly. Today's events should have been a happy occasion for everyone. What good would it do to accept the title of king?

How could we have ended up in such a state? It is utterly foolish.

"Have you ever considered that perhaps we've made the right move? The fact that my refusal to be made a king has provoked such a huge rage from Emperor Wu shows how much he values ​​the matter. Do you really think it's a windfall to make me a king for no reason?"

"The more Emperor Wu's anger burns, the more it proves that we have taken the right step. Now that we have a clear direction, there is no need for any worries. He has already seen through your Ghost Sword identity, which is why he has pointed the Starfall Sword at all of us. Now we have no choice but to fight with our backs to the wall and forge ahead."

Xiao Xingchen's words, though seemingly casual, elicited only helpless smiles from the group. Going head-on against a Martial Emperor—this was in the Great Qian Dynasty, after all. Could they really withstand it?

However, upon further reflection, he realized that what he said made perfect sense. To appoint a young boy as king without any reason was inherently a perplexing situation. Perhaps by turning the tables on this misunderstanding, they could directly thwart Emperor Wu's conspiracy.

"So what should we do next?"

"Wait, wait for Emperor Wu's reaction. I don't believe he would be willing to destroy me, this crucial pawn."

Xiao Xingchen was full of confidence. Although he didn't know why Emperor Wu favored him so much, he had a strong premonition that the title of king he was bestowed upon was definitely not just for the sake of the Xiao family. He only realized this when the star fell. For a long time, he had been blinded by Xiao Jianren's memories. He had always mistakenly believed that Emperor Wu was bestowing the title of king to deal with the Xiao family. Perhaps that was a factor, but there must be a deeper reason. And this deeper reason was the culprit behind Emperor Wu's direct initiation of the star fall.