I Have A Martial Dao World

Zuo Gong's Dragon Subduing Palm carried a majestic righteousness, its moves simple yet each strike contained boundless power, fierce and unparalleled.

The Empress Dowager also refused to show weakness, countering with successive attacks. The booming sounds merged into one, and the ground of the Great Harmony Square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony seemed as if it had been scoured by heavy artillery, riddled with holes three meters in diameter and nearly one meter deep.

Someone who had spent time in the military whispered, "Even 128mm caliber artillery would only have this kind of power."

Lu Yao also marveled, "A casual hit is comparable to the power of my trump card. The Golden Body Realm is truly formidable! I wonder when I'll be able to reach this state."

Just as he finished speaking, the two Great Grandmasters, fighting as they were, gathered strength and exchanged another palm strike.

The deafening roar suppressed everything, and the shockwave turned into a strong wind that made it impossible for onlookers to open their eyes, adding new craters to the already battered Great Harmony Square!

"If you put Great Grandmasters to work on a dam, it would certainly be quick and effortless..."

~~~~~~~

After exchanging a palm strike, each caught their breath as debris rained down from above.

When the dust had settled, the Empress Dowager didn't seem to be faring well—her complexion was slightly pale, and her eyes were noticeably dimmer.

After the fierce battle, her head began to throb faintly as if steel rods were being twisted inside. She couldn't help but curse inwardly,

"Damn! Attacked during the longevity feast, my Divine Soul still hasn't recovered..."

She had been blasted by Lu Yao with a cruise missile, and the damage to her Divine Soul was not something that could be healed easily.

"Empress Dowager!"

At that moment, Zhang Wenda bowed and said in a clear voice, "Continuing this fight is meaningless. Please retire from your position and return to the Grand Ancestral Temple to live out your years in peace."

Before the Empress Dowager could even respond, Zeng Bohan's eyes turned frosty as he coldly said, "At this point, Zhang Wenda, do you still care about preserving your reputation?"

It turned out that Zhang Wenda didn't want to bear the stain of "treason," hoping to force the Empress Dowager to abdicate through political means, so everyone could save face.

But Zeng Bohan had different ideas! With a cold expression, he said, "She's a Demon Empress who delusionally wished for eternal life; since she must be killed, we must uproot her completely today!"

Yuan Kaisheng, who had been silent until now, also spoke up, "If the Heavenly Demon Empress Dowager recovers and causes trouble again, better for us to join forces and take her down once and for all, returning a clear and bright world to the people!"

His words were much more eloquent, and also more pleasant to the ears.

The Empress Dowager glared at the two men, wishing she could tear them limb from limb, and the next second she sprang into action!

She burst forth from the crater beneath her, aiming to take out Zeng Bohan first!

The Empress Dowager knew one thing—if you are surrounded, take out one enemy at a time, cripple one and then move on!

Moreover, the person she hated the most was Zeng Bohan! Not only because he insinuated her death in his speech, but also due to their longstanding enmity.

Zeng Bohan led his army to capture Jinling, eliminating the Great Vehicle Sect, and it was universally believed that he acquired all the benefits of the Heavenly King's Mansion.

At the time, Hong Renkun was seen holding a lead box, which surely contained an incredible fortune, at the very least the Mystic Cultivation Manual of the Divine Manifestation Realm.

The Empress Dowager repeatedly demanded the item only to be refused, and in a fit of rage, she disbanded Zeng Bohan's army.

Little did she know, the benefits had already been taken by Lu Yao; Zeng Bohan truly had nothing.

But who would believe that? You, Grandmaster Zeng, watched the fight while sitting on heavy artillery, and then you were the first to arrive at the scene. And then you say you got nothing... who are you kidding?

From then on, their grudge deepened with each passing day, and they fought mercilessly the moment they clashed!

~~~~~~~~~~

The Empress Dowager attacked relentlessly, bombarding Zeng Bohan with the Tathagata Palm strikes one after another.

Interestingly, the eyes of the other three Grandmasters flickered, and they seemed to deliberately slow down their attack.

Zeng Bohan was infamous for his brutality in annihilating the Great Vehicle Sect, earning the nickname "The Barber," and even Zuo Gong had grown tired of him; it was the perfect opportunity to let the Empress Dowager deal with him.

The Empress Dowager struck from both sides, forcing her opponent to take two Tathagata Palm strikes head-on.

With two ear-splitting clangs, Zeng Bohan groaned in pain amidst the flying earth and stone.

He was blasted into the ground like a radish, his exposed skin showing slight cracks, indicating he had been seriously injured!

Taking advantage of the recoil from her palm strikes, the Empress Dowager suddenly shot towards the direction of the Kun Ning Palace, seemingly intent on escaping!

Zeng Bohan exerted his strength fiercely, shooting out from the ground like a cannonball, and shouted at the same time, "Attack with all your might! If she escapes, none of us will have a good end!"

Ignoring his injuries, he launched another attack towards the Empress Dowager. His hands gathered so much True Qi that the air around them became somewhat blurry, clearly indicating his resolve to kill! Experience more tales on empire

Zhang Wenda intercepted the Empress Dowager in a calm and unhurried manner. From the beginning, he had no intention of killing anyone; if it came to that, he would have let Zeng and Zuo take action.

In doing so, his reputation would remain untarnished, and he could possibly maneuver for the position of "Prime Minister" of Shun Country.

Zuo remained silent, executing another move "The Dragon Has Regrets," his palm emitting a white sonic boom as he struck.

And so, the Empress Dowager was besieged by the three of them at once. Yet, she completely ignored Zhang and Zuo, enduring their attacks!

Amidst the grating sound of metal breaking and scraping, the Empress Dowager, full of hatred, struck at the approaching Zeng Bohan with a very special move from the Tathagata Palm—

"Tathagata Palm: Sacrifice the Self to Annihilate Karma"!

The destructive force from Zhang and Zuo, transmitted through the Empress Dowager's body, added to her own palm strength, and slammed into Zeng Bohan all at once!

Guided by the Empress Dowager, the power of this palm strike didn't explosively dissipate and blast a huge pit in the ground like before but instead impacted the opponent's body perfectly!

The Grandmaster Zeng was sent flying hundreds of meters, crashing directly through the Wumen Gate Tower.

He then hit the ground, rebounding multiple times like a stone skipping on water, creating numerous large pits before miserably collapsing a section of the palace wall, which finally halted his momentum.

His body was covered with deep cracks, resembling a shattered vase hastily glued back together. Reaching out and gazing with wide eyes, he tried to say something but instead spat out a mouthful of golden blood and then fell to the ground motionless.

This was a broken Golden Body!

Zeng Boquan, his younger cousin, was watching the battle nearby. He rushed to his brother's side without saying a word and carried him away.

~~~~~~~

The Empress Dowager burst into unbridled laughter, then she too spat out a mouthful of golden blood.

At that moment, her body also showed many cracks. Although not to the extent of a broken Golden Body, the situation was still dire.

"I agree to retire from governing affairs."

The Empress Dowager coldly looked at the three men surrounding her and finally fixed her gaze on Zhang, saying, "Do you want to continue fighting, or would you rather not? I'm confident I can take one more with me!"

Zhang exchanged a glance with Zuo Jicun, realizing they could not continue the fight! Otherwise, with the "Golden Body Realm" damaged too severely, the Imperial Court might not be able to sustain itself.

Only Yuan Kaisheng was reluctant to let go, desiring to root out the problem once and for all. But having just shattered the mirror, he couldn't stand alone and had no choice but to cease fire.

Indeed, if he wanted to, he could have forced an attack and it might not have been entirely hopeless.

But after experiencing countless tribulations to cultivate to the Golden Body Realm, with the highest wealth and status within reach, who would willingly gamble their life?

With a mocking smile on her face, the Empress Dowager waited. She knew well—those with higher realms value their lives more, just like older people fear death more.

Sure enough, the three men in the arena gradually retracted their aura, signalling an intention to stop.

The Empress Dowager said firmly, "Repair the Summer Palace for me, focusing only on the main structure, no decorations needed—it won't cost much. Once it's repaired, I will retire there to live out my days and never return to the Imperial City!"

Zhang nodded and said, "The Empress Dowager has worked hard for the state and deserves a place for her retirement. We see no objection to this."

Zuo bowed with a fist and said coldly, "Please issue the decree now, Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager, with a cold expression, extended her hand and a square piece of Han Baiyu marble, one meter on each side, flew over from the Imperial Way.

She formed her finger into a knife and started to inscribe on the marble:

[After more than ten years of guiding from the deep palace, it pleases me to see that the Emperor has become learned. By this gracious decree, I return the governance. Command the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to choose an auspicious date for the enthronement ceremony.]

After writing, the Empress Dowager nonchalantly tossed the marble slab.

Zhang Wenda caught it effortlessly, his expression satisfied. With the decree written in her own hand before a public assembly, the matter was essentially settled.

Morally and legally, the Heavenly Demon Empress Dowager had lost control over the center of power in the Shun Dynasty.

Zhang stroked his beard and chuckled lightly; without the Demon Empress's hindrance, he and the others would surely be able to restore order from chaos.

~~~~~~~~

Lu Yao watched this great play, feeling a surge of emotions, but then he thought to himself: Even the poorest order is better than no order at all.

If successful, one could help the world; until he grew strong enough, the Shun Dynasty would have to suffice.