World's End: My Keyword is One More Than Others

Chapter 333: Half-step Grandmaster

star observation tower.

gu shichun leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance. the night view of the capital was spread out before him. if one looked closely, they could see that his gaze was fixed on the minister's mansion.

the imperial teacher stood beside him, occasionally glancing up at the sky with a slight frown.

"imperial teacher, can i dismiss the prime minister directly now?" gu shichun asked calmly. "the streets are filled with rumors about the heavenly demon, saying that my appointment of the heavenly demon as prime minister has led to today's chaos. if i follow public opinion and remove the prime minister, there won't be any issues."

"your majesty," the imperial teacher paused for a moment before speaking, "the prime minister is a short-lived figure, not worth worrying about. currently, the world is in chaos, and the celestial signs are unclear. i believe your majesty should observe the changes quietly. let the prime minister and the demon star fight it out. if you remove the prime minister now, it might lead to internal strife among brothers."

"internal strife?" gu shichun turned abruptly, his presence imposing without anger. "are you referring to old si?"

the imperial teacher bowed deeply, not daring to lift his head for a long time.

after a while, gu shichun's emotions calmed slightly. "imperial teacher, rise. i do not doubt you. speak to me honestly."

the imperial teacher straightened up and sighed. "since the list of the heavenly demons was published, the celestial signs have been in turmoil. the once-dominant empress star is now shaky, while the demon star, prime minister star, tianfu guest star, martial star, red luan star, earth solitary star, and general star are all responding to each other, showing signs of sweeping across the world.

i calculated that these ten stars correspond to the ten people on the list. the tianfu guest star guards the tianfu star, which represents the fourth prince. hence, i boldly speculate that the fourth prince might have rebellious intentions. of course, the prince could also be influenced by his advisors. i dare not make a definitive judgment."

gu shichun looked up at the sky, where countless stars twinkled, revealing nothing. he then leaned back on the railing, glancing alternately at the minister's mansion and the prince's mansion, lost in thought.

"your majesty," the imperial teacher stepped forward, "with you in the capital, neither the prime minister nor the fourth prince can stir up much trouble for now. i wish to leave the capital for a while."

"where to?" gu shichun asked.

"linyang city," the imperial teacher replied. "general cao lin is marching towards linyang. i wish to assist him and confront the demon star causing chaos."

"you don't have confidence in cao lin?" gu shichun frowned again.

"i wish to see what makes the demon star so extraordinary," the imperial teacher said tactfully.

"very well, i will send eunuch liu to accompany you," gu shichun said.

"your majesty, eunuch liu should stay in the capital to ensure your safety. i can go alone," the imperial teacher smiled. "your majesty, cao lin is a grandmaster, and i possess grandmaster abilities as well. with two grandmasters, even the demon star with all its might cannot escape."

"alright," gu shichun nodded after a glance at the imperial teacher. "be cautious on this journey. if things are beyond your control, do not act rashly. the nation cannot be without its imperial teacher for even a day."

"i understand," the imperial teacher bowed.

...

"imperial teacher, general cao lin is leading thirty thousand troops in a rapid march towards linyang. they will arrive in five days. currently, linyang city has only ten thousand elite soldiers and no natural defenses. once general cao lin arrives, we can hold out for at most a day."

huangfu yue reported recent intelligence to du ge. "the people of linyang are in a panic, all discussing the imperial teacher's identity, saying that you are a heavenly demon here to bring chaos..."

damn pan-universal entertainment company, treating their lives as expendable for ratings. one day, he'd put them on a leash and throw them into the alien star battlefield to entertain the public.

...

martial arts arena.

du ge stood opposite a dozen prenatal realm experts.

below, thousands of soldiers watched.

in times of low morale, personal martial prowess was the best medicine. du ge wouldn't miss any opportunity to boost morale.

huangfu yue stood below the stage, gripping her spear, her eyes fixed on du ge, trying to see through his true strength. she wanted to see how skilled du ge was without magic.

luo shuang stood behind her, arms crossed, looking nervous.

she had rarely seen du ge in action and still remembered his martial skills from when he chased her.

back then, du ge's martial skills were mediocre, comparable to her guards.

in subsequent fights, he relied on water magic. she didn't understand why her master suddenly wanted to challenge prenatal realm experts.

but she had some expectations. it was said that heavenly demons could grow through attributes. over the past month, her master's cane had tormented her in various ways. as a princess, she must have boosted his attributes significantly!

"gentlemen, please," du ge gestured.

"imperial teacher, please," the prenatal realm experts exchanged glances but didn't move, waiting for du ge to strike first.

the arena had no water, effectively binding a sorcerer's hands and feet.

they thought that once they attacked, du ge would have no chance to counterattack. they wanted to give him a chance to show off before the army.

seeing through their thoughts, du ge smiled, his figure blurred, and the next second, he appeared like a ghost among them.

the prenatal realm experts saw a flash and, before they could react, heard a ripping sound. they felt a lightness on their bodies, and when they came to their senses, they were standing naked, their clothes torn away by du ge.

gulp!

the prenatal realm experts swallowed hard, their faces turning pale.

this skill, this speed?

half-step grandmaster?

...