**"A joke. Does Uncle Wang really think that with only the mere cultivation of Nine-Stage Meridian Circulation, he can act arrogantly in front of me?"**
Li Chenggan sneered deliberately, trying to provoke Li Xiao and force him to reveal his trump card.
**"Haha, Li Chenggan, you need not try to provoke me. You just want to know what my trump card is, right? Fine, today, Uncle Wang will let you die knowing the truth."**
In Li Xiao's view, Li Chenggan's ascension to the throne was purely by luck. The late Emperor Li Mo only had one son—Li Chenggan—so Li Chenggan was able to inherit the throne without lifting a finger. On the other hand, Li Xiao had been one of many princes contending for the throne. He was confident that if it weren't for the extraordinary talents of Li Mo, which suppressed everyone, he, Li Xiao, would have been the one to inherit the throne.
Now, with Li Mo finally dead, Li Xiao knew that the opportunity he had long been waiting for had come. No longer willing to remain hidden, he discarded all pretense and mobilized all available resources, leading to the current situation.
**"Captain of the Imperial Guard, Fan Yang, pays his respects to the Northern Protector King. The five thousand Imperial Guards are fully assembled outside the palace. Your Majesty, with your command, we dare not refuse!"**
Fan Yang, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, stepped forward from outside the hall, kneeling respectfully and touching his forehead to the ground.
It seemed that Fan Yang was also Li Xiao's man, confirming how well-prepared Li Xiao was.
**"Haha, Fan Yang, please rise. With your assistance, this King has nothing to fear!"**
Li Xiao's confidence soared even higher with Fan Yang's arrival, and he laughed more arrogantly.
**"Chenggan, how now? Come down and obediently give way to your Uncle Wang?"** Li Xiao sneered at Li Chenggan and shouted loudly.
**"Not enough. Five thousand Imperial Guards are no threat to me!"**
Li Chenggan shook his head slightly. Five thousand Imperial Guards? Heh, not even worth mentioning!
**"Chenggan, Chenggan, you're still defiant at this point? Just what can you do to stop five thousand Imperial Guards?"**
"Yeah, has Li Chenggan lost his mind? Who does he think he is?"…
The courtiers joined in mocking Li Chenggan. After all, the Imperial Guards were the most elite force in the entire Tang Dynasty. Each member was at least at the third stage of physical cultivation, and even a strong practitioner in the Star-Attracting realm would have no chance of surviving if surrounded by this army.
Seeing Li Xiao's overwhelming strength, the courtiers no longer feared Zhou Cang and eagerly stepped forward to show off their own importance.
**"Where is General Guan Ping? Where are the Blood Guards of the Tang? Kill all these five thousand Imperial Guards without mercy!"**
**"Guan Ping obeys the command!"** **"Blood Guards obey the command!"**
The resounding replies echoed through the palace, pledging their loyalty.
Soon, Guan Ping, leading one thousand elite Blood Guards of the Tang, appeared like gods descending from the heavens, bringing with them a terrifying aura. In the blink of an eye, they pierced through the Imperial Guard formation and began slaughtering them!
**"What? What? These are all at the Sixth Stage of physical cultivation? How is that possible?"** Prime Minister Sima Mo Yu's face turned pale as he stared in disbelief at the one thousand Blood Guards that had suddenly appeared.
**"Fan Yang, quickly kill the leader!"** Li Xiao was decisive. He could see that the five thousand Imperial Guards were no match for this one thousand-strong elite force. Without Guan Ping, there was no hope left for them.
**"Fan Yang, obey!"** Even without Li Xiao's command, Fan Yang had already been itching to take action.
**"You nameless wretch, come and die!"**
Fan Yang leaped into the air, and in an instant, a flurry of sword energy enveloped Guan Ping, each strike more lethal than the last.
**"Fan Yang is also at Nine-Stage Meridian Circulation?"** Li Chenggan's eyes widened in momentary shock. Well, well, the waters of the Tang Dynasty truly ran deep!
He had originally thought that the strongest practitioners in the Tang Dynasty were those at the first or second stage of Meridian Circulation, such as Jiang Ran, but now…
At this moment, Li Chenggan couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had the Fate Stone, or else he might have been dead by now.
Meanwhile, Li Xiao and the courtiers were even more stunned. First Zhou Cang, now Guan Ping? Where did Li Chenggan find such powerful experts?
Although Guan Ping's cultivation was only at the Fifth Stage of Meridian Circulation, as a half-step transcendent existence, he could fight with opponents up to four stages above him. His true battle strength was equivalent to that of someone at the Ninth Stage of Meridian Circulation.
Fan Yang's strength was indeed surprising. In just a few breaths, Guan Ping had exchanged numerous blows with him but failed to gain any advantage. A glimmer of caution flashed in his eyes.
The two fought fiercely, their swords and knives clashing in a dazzling array of attacks, filling the air with destruction. The battle was so intense that even the palace itself began to shake, and bricks and stones were scattered in all directions. Before long, the adjacent palace was on the verge of collapse.
**"Guan Ping, quickly end this!"** Li Chenggan felt his eyelids twitch uncontrollably as he watched the destructive power of the two. If this continued, his palace would be reduced to rubble, and he'd have to sleep in a pile of ruins tonight.
**"Understood!"**
**"Heh heh, Fan Yang, you're quite good. If it were another time, I wouldn't mind playing with you a little longer. But unfortunately, the King is waiting, so I'll send you on your way now!"**
Suddenly, Guan Ping's aura shifted, and he stood in mid-air with a thunderous force gathering around him. His blade surged with energy, rapidly forming into a massive sword that was dozens of yards long—its terrifying power rippled through the air.
**"What is this? Condensing Intent with Force? How is that possible?"**
Fan Yang's heart sank as he saw the immense blade forming. The power behind Guan Ping's attack was truly monstrous. It seemed that Guan Ping had already begun to grasp the meaning of sword intent, a power that only top-tier experts could comprehend. For Guan Ping to wield sword intent at the Meridian Circulation stage was an ominous sign—his future potential was limitless.
Before Fan Yang could further reflect, the massive sword descended, crushing him into nothingness in a single stroke.
**"Your Majesty, the traitor Fan Yang has been slain!"** Guan Ping's voice rang out clearly.
Soon, the remaining Imperial Guards were also wiped out, their forces completely eradicated.
**"Well, well, well. Tang Zhi, you have done a great service today. You will be generously rewarded!"** Even Li Chenggan was stunned by the scene. He had never imagined that a practitioner at the half-step transcendence level could possess such overwhelming strength. What about those at the pinnacle of the realm? Just the thought of it made him long for their power.
Meanwhile, Li Xiao and his courtiers were in a daze, still reeling from the immense force of Guan Ping's sword. They could not help but stare blankly, as if their very souls had been shaken.
**"Chenggan, you little brat, don't get too smug. Since I dared to come, I am confident of victory!"** After a long pause, Li Xiao finally snapped out of his stupor and fixed a smug grin on Li Chenggan, his face filled with rage.
**"Oh, Uncle Wang, please proceed. I'll be eagerly waiting for your next move!"** Li Chenggan spoke with a knowing smile, as though he had already predicted what Li Xiao's final trump card would be.
**"The current King is immoral, unjust, and disloyal. He is a disaster for the empire! Now, I, Li Xiao, call upon the Royal Elders to remove this foolish King and restore the Tang to a just and prosperous rule!"**
Li Xiao knelt before the ground, using a secret technique to activate the royal insignia. His voice rang out with righteous indignation.
Suddenly, a wild wind swept through the hall, and three rays of golden light appeared in midair, filling the room with a blinding radiance. The courtiers, unable to keep their eyes open, instinctively closed them.
**"I, Li Xiao, respectfully greet the Three Elders. Please, I beg of you to uphold justice!"**
**"The King is without virtue, we beg the Three Elders to lead us in rectifying the wrongs!"**
The courtiers, awestruck by the aura of the Royal Elders, dropped to their knees in deep reverence, not daring to make a single move.