The battlefield fell silent.
The surviving Imperial Guards stood frozen, their faces pale and their eyes hollow with disbelief.
Their commander… was dead.
Wan Yunshan—the Grand Commander of the Sky-Supervising Pavilion—had been cut in half by a single sword strike.
For several seconds, no one moved.
Then panic erupted.
"Commander Wan is dead!"
A guard's terrified scream shattered the silence.
"Run! Everyone run!"
The fragile courage of the Imperial Guards collapsed instantly.
Moments ago they had been the hunters.
Now they were prey.
The remaining soldiers turned and fled in every direction, scrambling toward the gates of the mausoleum like men fleeing from hell itself.
To them, this sacred burial ground had already become a slaughterhouse.
But could they escape?
No.
Ye Chen had no mercy for traitors.
"Kill them."
His voice was calm.
But the killing intent within it was absolute.
"Leave no one alive."
Shen Qinglong's eyes flashed coldly.
"As Your Majesty commands!"
His voice thundered across the mausoleum.
"JINYIWEI!"
"Kill every last traitor!"
The thousand Jinyiwei surged forward like a black tide.
Steel flashed.
Screams tore through the air.
The fleeing guards never even reached the gates.
One by one, they were cut down.
Within moments—
The massacre was over.
Several hundred Imperial Guards lay dead across the mausoleum grounds.
Blood soaked into the sacred stones.
The night wind carried the scent of iron through the ancient tombs of emperors.
The last assassin collapsed.
And then—
A familiar mechanical voice echoed in Ye Chen's mind.
[Congratulations, Host.]
[First System Mission Completed.]
[Reward: One Top-Tier Talent.]
[Begin Summoning?]
Ye Chen's eyes lit up.
His heart surged with anticipation.
The system's Newbie Gift Pack had already given him the Nine Dragons Emperor Body, the Son of Heaven's Fate-Sword, and the terrifying force of the Jinyiwei.
What kind of expert would a Top-Tier Talent reward summon?
Without hesitation, Ye Chen gave the command.
"Summon."
The system responded immediately.
[Congratulations, Host.]
[You have obtained: Top-Tier Talent — Dugu Qiubai.]
[Cultivation: Late-Stage Xiantian Realm.]
Ye Chen's pupils contracted in shock.
"Dugu… Qiubai?"
A slow smile appeared on his face.
Of course he knew that name.
Dugu Qiubai.
A legendary swordmaster whose name once shook the martial world.
A peerless genius whose Dugu Nine Swords had defeated countless masters under heaven.
A man who sought defeat his entire life—and never found it.
To summon such a monster at this moment…
It was perfect timing.
Ye Chen understood his current situation very clearly.
Shen Qinglong and the Jinyiwei were powerful—but they were not enough.
Prince Ming himself was a Late-Stage Xiantian expert.
The Jinyiwei could slaughter the Sky-Supervising Pavilion.
But they could not defeat his uncle.
However—with Dugu Qiubai at his side…
Everything changed.
A ripple spread through the air.
Then—a figure appeared silently beside Ye Chen.
He looked like a young man dressed in simple gray robes.
His appearance was plain.
His expression calm.
But the moment he appeared—an indescribable sword aura filled the air.
It was quiet.
Yet suffocating.
A simple ancient longsword rested across his back.
Ye Chen's system interface appeared before him.
Name: Dugu Qiubai
Cultivation: Late-Stage Xiantian Realm
Technique: Dugu Nine Swords
Grade: Top-Tier Talent
Talent: Innate Sword Body—capable of defeating opponents above his cultivation level.Currently capable of fighting Peak Xiantian Realm experts.
Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat.
'Innate Sword Body…'
'Able to fight Peak Xiantian…'
Even he hadn't expected Dugu Qiubai to be this terrifying.
But then again—this was the legendary swordsman who had once stood alone above the martial world.
Dugu Qiubai stepped forward and knelt.
"Dugu Qiubai greets Your Majesty."
The moment he was summoned, the system had already implanted all necessary knowledge of this world and Ye Chen's identity into his mind.
Just like Shen Qinglong—his loyalty was absolute.
Ye Chen nodded, extremely satisfied.
"Good."
"Rise."
"With you here…"
A faint cold smile appeared on his lips.
"My uncle is no longer a problem."
Nearby, Zhao Zhong stood frozen in place.
Another one.
Another expert had appeared from nowhere.
The old eunuch stared at Dugu Qiubai with trembling eyes.
This man's aura…was terrifying.
Even standing dozens of steps away, Zhao Zhong felt as if countless invisible swords were pressing against his skin.
Just how many secrets was the emperor hiding?
Before Zhao Zhong could recover from the shock—
Shen Qinglong approached with the Jinyiwei.
All one thousand warriors knelt in perfect formation.
"Reporting to Your Majesty."
"Every assassin from the Sky-Supervising Pavilion has been eliminated."
"Not a single one escaped."
Shen Qinglong's voice was firm.
Ye Chen nodded calmly.
"Clean up the corpses."
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
"I will not allow the blood of traitors to pollute the resting place of the emperors of Xuan Tian."
Shen Qinglong bowed.
"This subordinate understands."
Then Ye Chen's voice turned colder.
"Seal off all information about what happened tonight."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And send several Jinyiwei to infiltrate the Sky-Supervising Pavilion."
His eyes darkened.
"I want to know where my mother is being held."
A terrifying pressure filled the air.
"Prepare a rescue operation."
"If a single hair on her head is harmed…"
Ye Chen's voice dropped to a whisper.
"You will bring me your own head."
Shen Qinglong's expression remained calm.
"As you command."
Then Ye Chen turned his gaze toward the old eunuch.
"Zhao Zhong."
The eunuch trembled and immediately knelt.
"This servant is here, Your Majesty!"
Ye Chen studied him quietly.
He knew this man well.
Zhao Zhong had served the royal family since his father's reign.
When Ye Chen had been a crown prince—this old eunuch had always stood behind him.
Even tonight—when everyone else betrayed him—Zhao Zhong had risked his life to protect him.
Ye Chen glanced at his cultivation.
Peak First Rank.
Just one step away from the Houtian Realm.
But Zhao Zhong was old.
His vitality had begun to fade.
Breaking through would be extremely difficult.
"You may rise."
The pressure in the air disappeared instantly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhao Zhong rose shakily.
His heart was still pounding.
His emperor had changed.
The man before him radiated a terrifying imperial authority.
Combined with the strength that had killed Wan Yunshan in a single strike…
Zhao Zhong felt deep, instinctive reverence.
"You have done well tonight," Ye Chen said calmly.
"You protected your emperor."
"Continue serving me."
Zhao Zhong's eyes reddened instantly.
He dropped to his knees again.
"This servant will follow Your Majesty until death!"
Ye Chen turned toward the palace far beyond the mausoleum walls.
A murderous light flashed across his eyes.
"And now…"
"It is time to settle accounts."
"With my dear uncle."
They had tried to kill him tonight.
But they had failed.
Now—it was their turn to die.
Ye Chen looked toward the horizon.
The moon was fading.
The first light of dawn was rising.
Morning court would begin soon.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"We should return to the palace."
"It would be unfortunate…"
"If we missed such an interesting performance."
His eyes shone coldly.
Today—many people in the imperial court would lose their heads.
And the Xuan Tian Dynasty… would witness the return of its true emperor.