The other three Great Beings of the Dawn, each representing the foundation of the seven major forces, no longer displayed their arrogance. Deep within their eyes lay a sense of desolation and helplessness.
"Young friend, don't blame us. After your death, your wife will be safe."
"We have no choice. If we don't follow orders, the entire Ninth Heaven will be destroyed."
"Consider it a sacrifice for the Wilderness."
The three Old Ancestors spoke one after another, finally dropping their pretense. They had survived countless years, their paths of cultivation long severed. If not for their obsessions, they would have ended their lives long ago.
Meng Qingzhou sighed sorrowfully.
He couldn't help but miss the overpowered protagonist, Long Aotian. How great it would be if he were still alive.
The region where the Great Jin Dynasty was located was called the Wilderness.
The Wilderness occupied half of the world's territory, and beyond it was the Sky State.
The mastermind behind the seven major forces came from the dominant family of the Sky State—the Ji family!
The Ji family manipulated the seven major forces to target the Great Jin, aiming to destroy it and extinguish any hope of unifying the world. They wanted the Wilderness to remain in perpetual chaos so they could profit from the wars.
They killed the Space-Time Sword Saint out of fear that an invincible being would emerge in the Wilderness.
"Sky State, Second Young Master of the Ji family," Meng Qingzhou murmured silently.
Everything that had happened recently was orchestrated in advance by the Second Young Master of the Ji family, step by step locking down the Great Jin Dynasty.
The first step was proposing marriage at the birthday banquet, attempting to dismantle the Great Jin Dynasty from within and cut off the Empress's path to unification.
The second step was joining forces with Zhao Yuhuan to besiege the Empress and kill this formidable ruler.
If the first two steps failed, the seven major forces would launch a full-scale attack to obliterate the Great Jin Dynasty.
"Impressive," Meng Qingzhou muttered under his breath, his chest filled with overwhelming killing intent. "Ji Wushuang, you are truly impressive! Using nations as chess pieces, what a grand scheme."
…
…
The sounds of battle on both sides of the battlefield ceased, and a million cultivators quietly watched.
This was the decision of Meng Qingzhou and the Hidden Sword Lord.
The Wilderness had been weak for too long; it couldn't afford more bloodshed and death.
The Hidden Sword Lord spoke softly, "Meng Qin, I want to make a bet with you."
"Speak," Meng Qin replied succinctly.
The Hidden Sword Lord wiped the Emperor Grade divine sword with his thumb and said calmly, "You want to help the Empress unify the land, using the momentum of the entire Wilderness to defy fate."
"But we believe that the path ahead is blocked, and there is no hope left. It's better to endure for a while and temporarily satisfy their expectations."
"This is a clash of our ideals, a confrontation of opposing views. Let's settle it with a duel of swordsmanship. If you win, the seven major forces will become stepping stones on the path to the unification of the Great Jin. If I win, the Great Jin Dynasty and the Empress will perish with you."
Hearing this, Meng Qingzhou raised his eyebrows slightly.
What!
I want to help the Empress unify the land and use the momentum of the entire Wilderness to defy fate?
Is that really what I want? I had no idea.
You truly have a keen eye for heroes, Hidden Sword Brother.
'Why does everyone think so highly of me? I'm just a carefree wanderer.' Meng Qingzhou held his forehead, unable to explain.
He could even feel the intense gaze from his wife, as well as the exclamations from the soldiers of the Great Jin and the cultivators of the seven major forces.
Although they couldn't understand what the Hidden Sword Lord was saying, they could sense something significant.
Both the seven major forces and Meng Qingzhou seemed to be seeking a way to save the world.
The Hidden Sword Lord chose to become an undercover agent, while Meng Qingzhou chose to defy the heavens!
"Minister… Minister Meng is mighty!" Qin Fenghuo shouted excitedly, jumping three meters high, looking like a fervent fan.
The Sea Prince looked at Meng Qingzhou's back, feeling a surge of heroism in his heart: "A true man should be like this! Minister Meng could be a Sage! Such a hero, not becoming the Empress' Husband is a great regret for the Great Jin!"
At this moment, the Sea Prince's desire to establish a new ruler was unprecedentedly strong. He wished he could immediately force the Empress to depose Meng Qingzhou and make Meng Qin the Empress' Husband!
"This is my man!!" The Empress was immensely proud, but her eyes were a bit teary.
So, you've been carrying so much all along, hiding your Sword Saint cultivation, and willingly becoming a live-in son-in-law, all to conceal your ambition.
You often say you're a salt fish, but you've been silently fighting against fate, seeking a way out for the people.
For the cultivators of the Wilderness, you've been paving a path forward!
'The salt fish isn't you; it's the hope deep within your heart.' Dongfang Liuli shed a tear.
"The Wilderness…"
Dongfang Liuli was very intelligent. From the few words of the Hidden Sword Lord, she deduced the general truth, and she was very close!
"Qingzhou, I'm not worthy of you." Dongfang Liuli wiped away her tears, her eyes becoming more determined.
"All this time, my vision was limited to the Great Jin Dynasty, while you, at some point, have been carrying the burden for the entire Wilderness."
…
…
"Alright, I accept your challenge," Meng Qingzhou said.
Since you seek death, I'll grant it to you!
Damn it, in this life, I, Meng Qingzhou, will kill all those who mindlessly praise me! Being burdened with unearned merits, I also have to bear the expectations of everyone.
But he hadn't done anything at all!
"I sense your intense hatred. Why?" The Hidden Sword Lord asked, puzzled.
A grand clash of ideals, involving the unbearable past of the Wilderness and its tragic fate over thousands of years.
We should be laughing heartily, admiring each other. Even if one of us dies, there should be no joy, perhaps even a desire to cry.
That would fit the plot!
How can you be filled with such killing intent, looking like you want to crush me into dust?
"Stop talking nonsense. You and a certain Big Column Kingdom, and a certain Prime Minister are all the same." Meng Qingzhou said coldly.
"What do you mean?" The Hidden Sword Lord was confused.
"You all love to frame and slander." Meng Qingzhou's face darkened.
The Hidden Sword Lord shook his head and said, "Forget it. Perhaps it's because our ideals and thoughts are different, so we have no common language."
"But rest assured, the bet will stand. If I lose, no one in the seven major forces will dare to resist."
This time, it was Meng Qingzhou's turn to be puzzled. He asked in disbelief, "How can you guarantee that?"
Losing means death. If you're dead, who in the seven major forces will listen to you?
The three Old Ancestors of the Dawn, who had been silent all this time, spoke up, "We can guarantee that if the Hidden Sword Lord dies, the bet will be fulfilled by us, Old Ancestor Taotie, and the former priest of the Shaman God Sect."
They were all undercover agents walking between light and darkness, flattering the Ji family of the Sky State while seeking a path forward for the Wilderness.
They were a group of respectable guardians.
Meng Qingzhou had no doubts, nodding, "Alright, let's begin."
At the same time, the Space-Time Sword Saint and the Hidden Sword Lord drew their swords simultaneously, and two completely different sword senses soared into the sky!
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