One

Ying Wuwang successfully made many brothers kneel. Having tasted the sweetness of victory with his first use of force, he was full of confidence, donned his armor and wielded his sword, riding at the forefront of the Imperial Guard.

Apocalypse City, Taiqing Palace

The sound of carriages and hoofbeats echoed, as if the emperor's procession had already set off amidst the rising dust. Peng Qianli in the golden hall groped his way up, bending over as he walked to the jade platform, silently adjusting his purple court robe. The palace maids and eunuchs in the distance, intimidated by his stern demeanor, dared not approach, merely exchanging glances, uncertain of his intentions.

Your Majesty

Your Majesty! The old minister rushed forward without regard for anything and embraced the Emperor's leg

On the silent Golden Hall, the three dynasties' old minister, General "Dragon Wall" Peng Qianli, knelt on the ground, allowing blood to flow profusely from his shoulder

When Ying Wuyi learned of this matter, the coffin of the young emperor had already been placed before him. Ying Wuyi sighed deeply as he patted the coffin, saying, "To seek benevolence is to attain benevolence; one should also smile in the netherworld." In order to please Ying Wuyi, the historian added the posthumous title "Joy" to Bai Luyan. Thus, this emperor, who intended to revitalize the Bai clan with the intent of the Shadow Sword but died under the blade, was referred to in historical records as "Emperor Joy"

The emperor kicked over Peng Qianli, drew his sword, and strode out of the Taiqing Gate. There, the imperial carriage was already prepared, with four white horses adorned with white pheasant feathers, pulling a chariot decorated in gold. Meanwhile, four hundred elite soldiers of the Yulin Army were clad in armor and held their weapons at the ready, their spears and halberds standing like a forest.

After a long while, the Emperor sighed: "Peng Qianli, back when you accompanied the late Emperor on the northern expedition against the barbarian tribes, you were able to fight fiercely even after being shot in both eyes by feathered arrows. Why is it that today, when I seek to restore the imperial authority, you shrink back like this..."

"Spirit of the Late Emperor," Peng Qianli knelt in the direction of the northern ancestral temple, "I am unable to restrain the feudal lords externally, nor can I protect the sovereign internally. I am ashamed to have failed the late Emperor's trust. My remaining life is of no use, and death is unforgivable. I can only express my gratitude to the late Emperor in this manner."

Seven hundred years later, the Bai family's forbidden spell was still broken

When Bai Yin conferred the Ying clan's ancestors during their departure from the Li state, he could not have possibly anticipated the birth of Ying Wuyi

The ancient sword, breaking the wind, struck directly at the old minister's neck. The emperor, filled with rage, lost control of his strength, and the Chengying sword sliced into the old minister's shoulder by an inch. Crimson blood slid along the nearly transparent blade, and for a moment, both the emperor and the minister fell silent. The emperor's hand trembled as he saw two streams of old tears rolling down from the old minister's blind eyes.

The troops shouted in unison, and the resulting sound wave was quite astonishing.

If Ying Wuyi had been born fifty years earlier, Peng Qianli would have been in the prime of his youth, standing shoulder to shoulder with Su Jin, the general of the Broken Army of the Zhenghe Empire. With Peng Qianli's valor at that time, had he encountered Ying Wuyi on the battlefield, there might have been a real chance to slay the treacherous ministers and fulfill his grand dream of loyalty to the monarch and love for the country. Unfortunately, when the lion of the East stood in the hall of the Dayin Dynasty issuing commands, Peng Qianli had already become a part of history

The blood mist, rising three feet high with fervor, enveloped the once-renowned general who fell upon the crimson carpet of the Golden Throne Hall, offering his shattered body as a testament to his loyalty to the Yinchao Empire

"Today, I vow to slay the traitors and restore the glory of our great Yin dynasty!" The emperor's voice echoed from outside the palace gates: "Those who sacrifice themselves to kill the enemy shall be granted titles of nobility! Those who slay Ying Wuyi shall be made kings for generations, their lineage enduring for a thousand autumns!"

The sealed red rope has finally been severed again, and amidst the vastness, the vengeful spirit on the sword rises into the air. After seven hundred years of prosperity of the Bai Dynasty, can it ultimately escape the calamity of a chaotic world?

In the sixth year of Emperor Yinxi, in the eighth month, the relatively obscure marquis Ying Wuyi from the border regions among the various lords of the Sixteen Kingdoms crossed the Thunder Eye Mountain, bringing with him five thousand light cavalry to pay homage in the imperial capital. In fact, this was a surprise attack, as he aimed to control the imperial capital, Tianqi City, with his five thousand troops

The imperial sword "Chengying," although a treasured artifact passed down through the Bai family, is also known as the "Sword of Chaos" in legend. Bai Yin wielded this bloodthirsty sword, stepping over countless corpses to unify the land. Subsequently, he personally sealed the sword with a red cord, forever abandoning this weapon, which could be deemed a divine instrument, in the sword pavilion of the deep palace.

When Ying Wuyi was nineteen years old, his father passed away, leaving a will that appointed his eldest son, Ying Wuwang, to inherit the throne. Aware of his own lack of talent, Ying Wuwang feared that his brothers would not submit to him, so he resolved to speak through force. He reorganized the elite imperial guards, numbering four hundred, and besieged the residences of the various princes, intending to bring all his brothers into the inner palace for supervision

As he burst into Ying Wuyi's residence, he was met with a wolf-toothed arrow. Ying Wuwang was loudly calling for their master to come out when the long arrow pierced through the wind, entering his mouth and penetrating through to the back of his head. The merely nineteen-year-old Ying Wuyi slowly emerged from behind the large pillar in the main hall, discarding his sturdy bow, and drawing the horse-slaying long knife at his side, he advanced step by step towards the Imperial Guards. It was a confrontation of one against four hundred, and Ying Wuyi coldly regarded the Imperial Guards brought by his brother, each step feeling as if he were treading upon stone. The irresistible majesty and killing intent he exuded were entirely uncharacteristic of a mere nineteen-year-old; the battle-hardened Imperial Guards before him resembled a flock of sheep, while Ying Wuyi was undoubtedly the hunting lion.

"Is it true that the Bai family has no loyal subjects left?" At this point, the emperor's hidden ailment flared up. The humiliation and helplessness of the past years had long sown the seeds of anger, and when this anger broke free from its restraints and ignited, it could no longer be extinguished by a blind Peng Qianli.

Ying Wuyi! You treasonous rebel of a chaotic nation, had you encountered me on the battlefield fifty years earlier, I would have cleaved you with a thousand blades, leaving your corpse in pieces!" In a fit of rage, Peng Qianli leaped up, drew the sword from his waist, and accurately cut into his own throat, then with a twist and a pull, severed the blood vessels in his neck.

The four hundred elite troops of the Imperial Guard were won over by Ying Wuwang over the course of six months, while Ying Wuyi managed to make them kneel in submission in an instant, after which they called out in unison for His Highness, the Marquis of Li.

In the winter of the ninth year of the reign of Emperor Xidi of the Great Yin, on the seventeenth day of the twelfth month

"Too many killings," Bai Yin once sighed, "is an ominous sword"

As for Emperor Xi's final act of defiance and Peng Qianli's suicide, it was merely a minor episode amidst the tumultuous changes of this chaotic era. Emperor Xi, Bai Luyan, could no longer endure the arrogance of Ying Wuyi, especially as the beacon fires of the loyalist cause had already been extinguished. In the ninth year of his reign, which was also the last year of his emperorship, Bai Luyan, in a fit of rage, led over four hundred members of the Imperial Guard in a chariot charge against Ying Wuyi's residence. Unfortunately, at that time, Ying Wuyi did not even witness the furious emperor with his own eyes; in an instant, Bai Luyan's guard was scattered by the Thunder Riders of the departing nation, and Emperor Xi himself was killed by his rebellious subordinates. In the ninth year of his reign, which was also the last year of his emperorship, Bai Luyan, in a fit of rage, led over four hundred members of the Imperial Guard in a chariot charge against Ying Wuyi's residence. Unfortunately, at that time, Ying Wuyi did not even witness the furious emperor with his own eyes; in an instant, Bai Luyan's guard was scattered by the Thunder Riders of the departing nation, and Emperor Xi himself was killed by his rebellious subordinates.

The emperor showed no mercy for the old age of his minister, striking the old official's collarbone with the whip handle. Turning around, he reached out once more to grasp the sword on the desk.

In a fit of rage, the emperor indeed drew his sword. The red silk cord on the scabbard was forcibly torn apart, and the ancient sword was unsheathed, emanating a faint, elusive radiance. After seven hundred years, the edge of Chengying's sword remained as sharp as the moment it was forged.

During this conference, the balance among the Eastern lords subtly shifted, with the weaker finally yielding to the stronger, while the power seekers concealed their claws, waiting for the lion to fall. The old peace was shattered by war, and a new war was brewing within the new peace. This page of history is bound by blood, and future generations cannot discern the expressions of the lords at the Alliance of Suohe. Only the seventy thousand corpses beneath Suohe Mountain, even a hundred years later, still gaze at the sky with their hollow eye sockets, watching the rise and fall of the stars. This page of history is bound by blood, and future generations cannot discern the expressions of the lords at the Alliance of Suohe. Only the seventy thousand corpses beneath Suohe Mountain, even a hundred years later, still gaze at the sky with their hollow eye sockets, watching the rise and fall of the stars

"Peng Qianli!" The emperor roared, "Do not think that just because you are an old minister of the late emperor, I will not dare to kill you! The fate of my Great Yin Dynasty's realm has been ruined by you timid and cowardly ministers! If you do not step aside today, I will use your head to offer a sacrifice to my sword!"

Victory means life, while defeat means death. This is the ironclad rule that has governed Ying Wuyi's entire life

In times of chaos, this is how the world mocks those who are defeated

The feudal lords were horrified to realize that, after years of efforts by Ying Wuyi, the army of the Li State was now strong enough to dominate the Sixteen States. Relying on the two formidable armies, the "Thunder Cavalry" and the "Red Legion," the Li State held the emperor hostage, exerting its power over the feudal lords. The emperor, Emperor Yinxidi, was unwilling to be humiliated by the feudal lords and secretly transmitted the Iron Edict for the Restoration of the Kingdom. Consequently, the coalition of fifteen states, totaling 180,000 troops, approached the imperial capital. In the end, both sides engaged in a bloody battle at Suohe Mountain, suffering heavy losses. The coalition of the fifteen states collapsed a month later, and the Li State convened the feudal lords at the Suohe Mountain battlefield to sign a treaty. Thus, a fragile peace was maintained, which later generations referred to as the "Suohe Alliance."

Seven hundred years ago, a man named Bai Yin raised the banner of the Flaming Rose to unify the Eastern Continent, establishing an unprecedented human empire in the history of the Nine Provinces. It was from that time that the Flaming Rose became a symbol of the might and power of the Yin Dynasty. The Bai family adopted it as their family crest, hoping that the war god-like 'Rose Emperor' would continue to guard his descendants with his spirit, bringing everlasting strength and prosperity to the Bai Dynasty. It was from that time that the Flaming Rose became a symbol of the might and power of the Yin Dynasty. The Bai family adopted it as their family crest, hoping that the war god-like 'Rose Emperor' would continue to guard his descendants with his spirit, bringing everlasting strength and prosperity to the Bai Dynasty

The imperial sword "Chengying" is said to be the sword of the Rose Emperor Bai Yin

Your Majesty! Your Majesty must not go! Beneath the jade platform, the old man clutched the emperor's sleeve tightly, prostrating himself on the ground in reverence.

The next day, Ying Wuyi sat in the palace of Li Guo, holding the longbow used to kill his brother, and said to his brothers: "If you wish to kill me, just imitate my appearance; you still have a chance. However, when the day comes for swords to clash, there will be no more talk of brotherhood, only the victory of life and the defeat of death"

The palace eunuchs said that in the overcast and rainy weather, one often hears faint calls coming from the Sword Pavilion. On nights devoid of stars and moonlight, if a solitary lamp is lit within the Sword Pavilion, one can clearly see a faint figure in the shadow of the lamp, gently caressing the sword sheath, while the sword itself eerily begins to hum.

Peng Qianli's words will forever remain unknown to Ying Wuyi

This is the family emblem of the Bai clan of the Yinchao royal family

It is unknown how the stars operate, allowing Ying Wuyi, the cautious and meticulous son of his father, to be born. The Seventeenth Young Master Ying Wuyi is little burdened by a bad reputation, possessing a solitary and rebellious temperament. He spends his days with hawks and hounds, mingling with the rascally youths of the city, proving to be a detriment to the state of Li. Although he possesses extraordinary skills in swordsmanship and horsemanship that astonish the world, he is not favored by the Marquis of Li.

The young emperor donned silver heavy armor, with golden flowing clouds and flames intricately engraved on the breastplate, amidst which burned blooming roses.