The instant that emperor-like figure appeared, Great Yu cultivators hiding in the dark sprang into action in unison. Vicious ghosts ran rampant, demons brought chaos to the mortal realm, and they tied down every cultivator attempting to rush toward the provincial governor's manor.
The sovereign figure stood suspended above the manor, his gaze resembling that of a dragon, naturally exuding an ominous aura.
He opened his massive hand. The sky turned black as a palm large enough to cover nearly half the city pressed down. Layer upon layer of space was contained within that palm, warping the void and stirring up terrifying waves of spiritual power.
If this palm struck, Hanshui City would undeniably be turned into a dead zone!
"How dare you, thief!"
Provincial Governor Lü bellowed with a roar like rolling thunder, causing ripples visible to the naked eye to ripple through space.
"Disperse!"
Provincial Governor Lü flipped both hands, adopting a stance as if holding up the heavens. Like an indomitable giant propping up the firmament, he held back the sovereign figure's gigantic palm!
Boom—
The two forces collided like heavenly thunder tangling with earthly fire, erupting into boundless energy!
The sovereign figure drew back his hand. Surprised, he watched the injury on his palm heal at a slow pace.
"Oh? As far as We know, you junior are merely at the Body Integration stage, yet you managed to withstand Our Universe in the Palm. It seems the power of national destiny has enhanced you tremendously."
"Who are you?!" After taking that blow head-on, Provincial Governor Lü felt his internal organs violently churning. Had the power of national destiny not shielded him, that single strike would have killed or crippled him.
He faced him as if confronting a formidable foe, a dreadful premonition rising in his chest. His opponent had indeed planned this thoroughly.
Although in theory, bolstered by the power of national destiny, he could attain the strength of an early Tribulation Transcendence cultivator, that was only under the prerequisite that he had mastered it. Having assumed office just a few days ago, he was still unfamiliar with wielding the power of national destiny.
"We are named Wu Youdao."
"Wu Youdao?!"
Lu Yang was slightly surprised. He had not expected it to be this person. Ever since learning that the Great Yu cultivators were stirring up trouble, he had taken the opportunity to study the history of the Great Yu Dynasty in detail, particularly the eras of the two Imperial Preceptors. Wu Youdao had few records written about him, but he had left a deep impression on Lu Yang.
"Who is Wu Youdao?" By comparison, the Immortal Fairy seemed utterly unlearned.
"The fifth Emperor Yu had seven sons, and Wu Youdao was the eldest," Lu Yang explained. "Legend has it that auspicious clouds in the shape of a dragon and a tiger descended from the heavens when he was born—a sign of a sovereign. His talent on the path of cultivation was exceptionally high: he achieved Qi Induction at sixteen, Foundation Establishment in three months, and Core Formation in six months, condensing the most orthodox Dragon-Tiger Golden Core among first-grade Golden Cores!
"His cultivation speed was so fast that he soon left his peers far behind. Afterward, he vanished from sight to concentrate on his cultivation.
"When the fifth Emperor Yu fell critically ill and was nearing the end of his lifespan, the six princes fought over the succession, each desiring to become the sixth Emperor Yu.
"That was when Wu Youdao appeared. Knowing that their eldest brother was the most likely to inherit the throne, the six princes decided to defeat Wu Youdao first before fighting among themselves. Yet with a single slap, Wu Youdao sent all six of his younger brothers flying, scattering severed limbs and mangled corpses across the ground.
"Wu Youdao stepped over his brothers' bodies to ascend the throne, uttered a flat 'How boring,' and became the sixth Emperor Yu. Soon afterward, he disappeared again, abdicating the throne to another brother. He had the shortest reign of all the Emperors Yu in history.
"Later, people deduced from that single strike that Wu Youdao had already stepped into the Tribulation Transcendence stage back then. If that deduction is true, then among all the Emperors Yu throughout history, Wu Youdao's talent ranked second!"
"Who was first?"
"Naturally, the founding first Emperor Yu."
"Oh, so this Wu Youdao is actually pretty strong?" The Immortal Fairy nodded and said no more.
She could not help feeling that this Wu Youdao's caliber was quite mediocre, and even the Universe in the Palm he used was only half-baked.
"So it is Wu Youdao, the legendary figure born with the visage of a sovereign!" Provincial Governor Lü had naturally heard of Wu Youdao's name. Every Tribulation Transcendence cultivator possessed a legendary history sufficient to leave their mark on the annals of time.
"Hand over the national destiny, and We can spare your life. We keep Our word," Wu Youdao said arrogantly, not taking Provincial Governor Lü seriously in the slightest.
So what if he possessed the combat strength of an early Tribulation Transcendence cultivator? That was still not the same as actually being one.
In Wu Youdao's eyes, Provincial Governor Lü was merely an early Tribulation Transcendence meat shield. Whittle him down slowly, and he would eventually wear him to death.
"Historical records say you suffered from hemorrhoids and that sitting on the throne made your rear hurt too much, which was why you became the Emperor Yu with the shortest reign. It seems history did not lie after all." Provincial Governor Lü was also a man who never pulled his punches with his tongue.
"Courting death!" Wu Youdao's expression turned frigid. No one had ever dared speak to him like that.
Whoosh—
With a flick of his sleeves, two plumes of five-colored qi appeared above his head. The five-colored qi gradually coalesced, condensing into a thousand-zhang-long, five-clawed azure dragon and a mountain-like white tiger with upturned eyes, flanking him as divine protectors on his left and right.
The sight was terrifying beyond measure. Hanshui City's citizens trembled, their hearts in their throats.
"Five-colored dragon-tiger qi! That's the legendary aura of the Son of Heaven!"
"It's over... How can anyone fight that?"
"We must believe in the governor! The governor will surely have a way!"
Even as the people said so, none of them had any confidence, unsure whether Provincial Governor Lü could truly match Wu Youdao.
"Kill him and seize the power of national destiny!"
The dragon and tiger pounced. Provincial Governor Lü showed not the slightest hint of fear; if he fled, the millions of citizens in Hanshui City would be reduced to Wu Youdao's slaves.
"Suppress the Mountains!"
Provincial Governor Lü produced the Great Seal of Huangzhou and slammed it downward. An enormous character for 'Huang' manifested across the sky, transforming into a colossal god wielding a shield and spear to intercept the assault of the dragon-tiger qi.
This was the Mountain-Suppressing Guard, an entity forged from the national destiny. Named to suppress mountains, its true purpose was to safeguard the nation; in terms of tactical adaptability, it was far superior to Provincial Governor Lü.
"I underestimated you. To think you still had such a trick!" Wu Youdao cast aside his playful attitude. The Mountain-Suppressing Guard was a variable he had not anticipated. If they continued fighting like this, who knew what other methods the power of national destiny might produce? If this fatal encirclement was accidentally broken, all his efforts in Hanshui City would be completely ruined!
"The power of national destiny will surely allow Our dragon-tiger qi to undergo its final metamorphosis. Die!"
Wu Youdao thrust his palm forward. The palm encompassed heaven and earth like a great world containing all things, causing the entire void to buzz and tremble as if resonating with it.
Provincial Governor Lü found himself trapped as if in a quagmire, an inexplicable force pulling at him and making movement almost impossible.
Spurt—
Provincial Governor Lü took the full brunt of the strike. The palm punched straight through his chest and emerged from his back. He coughed up mouthful after mouthful of blood, prompting the more timid onlookers below to frantically shield their eyes in terror.
His eyes dimmed, life rapidly draining from him.
Just as Wu Youdao prepared to deliver another strike, Provincial Governor Lü's dull eyes suddenly blazed with light. The wound on his chest knit together at astonishing speed. Wu Youdao was a beat too slow in retracting his hand—his right arm ended up fused directly into Provincial Governor Lü's chest!
Madness flashed in Provincial Governor Lü's eyes. In a contest of spellcraft, he could not match Wu Youdao, who had attained the Tribulation Transcendence stage ages ago. The only realm where he could compete with Wu Youdao was physical endurance.
The power of national destiny was ceaseless and unyielding, endlessly mending his injured body.
He would trade wound for wound; he would drag this out and wear him to death!
"Madman!" Wu Youdao cursed furiously. His combat experience was extraordinarily rich, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed such an insane style of fighting!
"Come at me again, you hemorrhoid-ridden waste!" Provincial Governor Lü roared with laughter, his teeth stained crimson with blood.
Chapter 438