CHAPTER 482: CHAPTER 482 : THE FINAL WAR (5)

A cacophony of shouts and panicked cries ripped through the tranquil palace, shattering the illusion of peace. Alerted by the sudden uproar, Imperial guards surged from their barracks, a tide of steel and leather. Weapons clutched tight, shields held high, they raced towards the heart of the chaos, their expressions grim and determined.

"Protect the Heavenly Emperor!" They cried out.

"Protect the Golden Dragon Palace!"

"Vanquish the demons!"

A deafening roar ripped through the air as demons surged from the dimensional portal, effortlessly crossing the impossible divide between realms. The portal snapped shut with a final flicker as the last monstrous figure squeezed through.

Chaos erupted around Qiao Wei.

Imperial guards clashed with demons of all shapes and sizes, their panicked cries swallowed by the cacophony of battle.

Unfazed by the mayhem, Qiao Wei scanned the battlefield with impassive eyes. Every opponent who dared to impede his path to the Heavenly Emperor was met with swift, effortless elimination.

"Second Demon King...!"

A fiery bolt lanced towards Qiao Wei’s head. He twisted with whiplash speed, the scorching air singeing his hair as he barely dodged the blow.

Spinning on his heel, Qiao Wei narrowed his eyes at his attacker.

Jiang Muchen stood some distance away from him, his eyes wide with shock and his staff outstretched, frozen mid-strike.

"Little Uncle," he whispered in disbelief. "It’s you. It’s really you."

Qiao Wei’s mouth dropped open when he came face-to-face with his nephew.

"... Muchen."

"Little Uncle!"

Jiang Muchen propelled himself upwards in a single, graceful leap, launching off the ground and landing soundlessly before Qiao Wei.

"Little Uncle, why... Why are you with the demons...?"

Malice flashed through Qiao Wei’s eyes. He raised his long sword and pressed it against Jiang Muchen’s chin.

"And why are you defending the usurper?"

Jiang Muchen’s jaw fell in bewilderment.

"Usurper? What usurper? Little Uncle, what are you talking about???"

The blade pressed closer into Jiang Muchen’s chin, drawing a droplet of crimson blood that slowly ran down its length.

"You are my nephew by blood. How could you betray me and side with Liu Yichen?"

At this point, Jiang Muchen was utterly confused.

"Little Uncle, what are you talking about? Why are you mentioning Liu Yichen? Liu Yichen died five years ago!!!"

"LIES!"

Qiao Wei’s long blade whipped through the air, a silver blur threatening to cleave Jiang Muchen in two. With a lightning-fast reflex, Jiang Muchen launched himself into a reverse flip, twisting through the air and landing nimbly on his feet several meters away.

Before he could find his balance, a demonic figure lunged, his morningstar raised for a killing blow. Jiang Muchen was forced to throw himself down in a desperate dodge, narrowly avoiding the swinging weapon that whistled past his head.

"Little Uncle, it was not a lie!"

Jiang Muchen was shaken to the core.

"What happened to you? What did the First Demon King do to you? Why did you attack Zhang Fengxi?"

A cheerless laughter escaped Qiao Wei.

"So many questions," he snarled. "Did it not matter to you how I died, Muchen?" He asked, his tone dripping with menace. "Are you defending Zhang Fengxi as well?"

"But Zhang Fengxi, he is...!!!"

"Silence!!!"

Qiao Wei unleashed a sphere of crackling spiritual energy toward Jiang Muchen, aiming for his very core. The ground beneath the Fire Guardian’s feet erupted in a spray of splinters as the energy slammed into the earth, leaving a crater where he stood moments ago.

"I hate you," Qiao Wei hissed. "I hate all of you. You are all responsible for my and my son’s death..."

A tide of grief washed over Qiao Wei. The memory of his fallen son, a raw wound forever etched in his heart, ripped open anew. Tears welled in his eyes, spilling over and tracing hot tracks down his face.

"Little Uncle, you have lost your mind!!!" Jiang Muchen snapped. "Mingrui and Junjie are..."

But Qiao Wei was not interested in listening.

Another attack ensued before Jiang Muchen finished what he wanted to say.

"If you are not on my side, Muchen, then you are my enemy," Qiao Wei pointed his sword at Jiang Muchen’s face. "Prepare to die."

"L-Little Uncle..."

"Muchen, move," a cold voice behind Jiang Muchen announced himself.

Cold sweat ran down Jiang Muchen’s temples. He whipped around and stared at his mother, the Heavenly Emperor.

Xie Jianshen stared at Qiao Wei.

"Little Yu."

Qiao Wei furrowed his brows in confusion.

"... Big Brother?"

His gaze swept over his elder brother, taking in every detail from the jeweled headdress perched atop his head to the folds of the opulent golden robe that adorned his form.

Qiao Wei lowered his sword in confusion.

"Big Brother, why are you..."

"Didn’t you come here to kill the Heavenly Emperor?" Xie Jianshen shot Qiao Wei a glare. "He is standing before you right now."

"..."

Qiao Wei stared at Xie Jianshen.

"Impossible," he mumbled. "The Heavenly Emperor... Liu Yichen... ARGHHHH!!!"

Agony lanced through his head, making him cry out. Each pulse pounded like a hammer against his skull, threatening to shatter it.

"Ahhhhhh!!!! AAHHHHHH!!!" Qiao Wei cried out from the overwhelming pain.

"Little Uncle!" Jiang Muchen howled.

"Little Yu!" Xie Jianshen quickly approached Qiao Wei, who was curling up on the ground, screaming like a tortured prisoner.

A vicious voice spoke in his head, infusing his mind with a potent poison.

"Don’t let them deceive you, Crown Prince. They usurped the throne, murdering the former Heavenly Emperor in a bloody coup. You, the Crown Prince, and your elder brother were both killed in cold blood. The two people before you are nothing but illusions, created to mess up with your minds.

Kill the Heavenly Emperor.

Kill him!

Kill him!!!"

"AAAARGHHHHHHH!!!"

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Qiao Wei whipped his blade around in a vicious arc, its sharp edge aimed straight at Xie Jianshen’s approaching form. The Heavenly Emperor, caught mid-stride, registered the glint of steel a split second too late. His eyes widened in a flash of shock as the blade cleaved towards the jeweled crown adorning his head.