"Ah--!"
A piercing scream tore through the air.
The instructor's body rapidly withered away in a horrifying manner, his life essence drained instantly, leaving only a pool of filthy blood, which was then completely swallowed up by the blood-red array patterns spreading across the ground.
The Blood Young Master used such extremely cruel methods to intimidate every living being that dared to resist.
Xiao Han clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, blood seeped from his gums, and a metallic sweetness filled his mouth.
Every moment of delay means more innocent people will suffer the same fate and die tragically on the spot.
He struggled to suppress the tearing pain emanating from the depths of his soul; his voice was hoarse, a mixture of agony and raging fury, yet it also revealed an unyielding resolve.
"Senior, Linglong, cover me!" Xiao Han turned to Su Linglong and the two Su Family elders, his words resolute, "I'll destroy the core of this 'Blood Spirit Ten Thousand Gu Insect Formation'! I'll draw that bastard Blood Young Master away!"
[Ding! Host detected facing a near-death situation. Special mission activated: Imperial Capital Guardian!]
[Temporary skill "Heroic Soul Resonance" has been issued: The host can briefly borrow the remaining guardian will and indomitable power of all the loyal souls who bravely fell in resistance against the Blood Fiend Hall's atrocities within the Imperial Capital. The more power borrowed, the stronger the backlash to the host's own soul, and the shorter the duration.]
[Quest completion reward:???]
[Punishment for mission failure: Obliteration of the soul, never to be reincarnated!]
The system's notification tone remained cold and devoid of emotion, yet at this moment, it brought a glimmer of desperate hope for survival.
"No! It's too dangerous!" Tears welled up in Su Linglong's eyes as she gripped Xiao Han's arm tightly, her fingertips chillingly cold.
She could clearly sense how bad Xiao Han's condition was at that moment. His pale face and trembling body silently told her that he was enduring unimaginable torment.
Xiao Han broke free of her hand and turned towards Su Linglong. His voice was distorted from suppressing his pain, yet it possessed a calming power. "Linglong, trust me! I have to go!"
The two Su Family exchanged a glance. The older man, with white hair and beard, pondered for a moment, then nodded heavily. "Young friend Xiao, your righteousness is admirable! Our Su Family may not be a prestigious and powerful clan, but we understand the meaning of righteousness! We will cooperate fully, protect Mentor Lin to the death, and at the same time do our best to destroy the array's core to buy you precious time!"
"Good!"
Xiao Han's chest heaved violently, and he threw his head back, letting out a roar that he had suppressed for a long time!
"Heroic Soul Resonance, Begin!"
With his roar, it seemed as if countless heroic souls echoed across the entire Imperial Capital!
Angry, resentful, tragic, resolute...
Undetectable to ordinary people, countless remnant souls, drawn by an invisible force, surged from every corner of the Imperial Capital like rivers flowing into the sea, frantically entering Xiao Han's body!
His momentum surged once again at an astonishing speed!
His cultivation level, which had previously declined due to the fading effect of the [Dragon Vein Fortune Blessing], now showed signs of breaking through the barrier again!
However, along with this power came an even more terrifying Soul Impact!
Countless unfamiliar fragments of memories, the intense resentment and boundless hatred before death, the unwavering belief in protecting his homeland... all these complex and extreme emotional torrents transformed into surging waves, crashing against his soul, which was already in excruciating pain due to the [Blood Soul Curse Mark].
Xiao Han's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulged on his forehead and neck, and his body trembled violently, as if he were about to collapse at any moment. But he gritted his teeth and endured it all with the steely will he had honed through two lifetimes!
He whirled around, his gaze like two drawn swords, locking onto Blood Young Master. His voice was hoarse yet filled with extreme provocation. "Blood scum! Didn't you want the Primordial Shadow Source Crystal and Blood Soul Source Crystal on my person? If you've got the guts, come and take them yourself!"
Before he finished speaking, Xiao Han, relying on his [Void-Piercing Divine Eyes] keen perception of energy flow, instantly identified the location where the Blood Fiend Hall experts were most concentrated and closest to a certain large formation hub.
A Step to the Ends of the Earth!
His figure transformed into a blurry streak of light, advancing instead of retreating, and actually charging towards the direction where the Blood Fiend Hall members were the most numerous!
Along the way, he made no attempt to conceal the remaining Source Crystal energy within his body. The dark and profound Primordial Shadow Source Crystal and the evil and violent Blood Soul Source Crystal were like two bright lamps in the night, clearly exposed to the Blood Young Master's perception.
"You little beast, you're asking for death!" Blood Young Master was indeed thoroughly enraged by Xiao Han's almost suicidal provocation. Coupled with the allure of the two Source Crystal auras that made him drool, greed and murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He no longer cared about Su Linglong and the dying Lin Qingxia.
"Chase him! Catch him, and I'll tear him to pieces and strip him of all his treasures!"
Blood Young Master roared fiercely, his figure blurred, and he transformed into a blood-red shadow, taking the lead. Behind him, the three Martial King Elders with their chilling auras, as well as dozens of elite assassins from the Blood Fiend Hall, followed closely like a swarm of sharks that had smelled blood, their killing intent palpable.
A battle of pursuit and counterattack, involving the entire Imperial Capital and using Xiao Han as bait, with life and death as the stakes, has begun!
Xiao Han's resolute and lonely figure quickly disappeared into the shadows of the complex buildings of the academy.
Su Linglong gazed in the direction he had left, tears welling up in her eyes.
She raised her hand and wiped it away with her sleeve.
Her face was devoid of any softness, only resolute determination remained.
"Elders, let's proceed according to plan!"
"We must save Mentor Lin and destroy the Blood Fiend Hall's conspiracy within the academy as much as possible! We cannot let Xiao Han die in vain!"
"Yes, Miss!" The two Su Family responded in a deep voice, each summoning their Martial Soul and leading the Su Family members to instantly engage in a fierce battle with the remaining Blood Fiend Hall henchmen and the puppets controlled by the evil array.
At this moment, the Imperial Capital has lost both its prosperity and tranquility.
Roar!
Explode!
The screams were piercing and heart-wrenching!
Roaring rage!
Crimson pillars of light shot into the sky, one after another, rising from all parts of the Imperial Capital and weaving a massive crimson canopy.
An ominous atmosphere pressed down on the entire city, making it hard to breathe.
At the military base of the Dragon Nation, the piercing sound of an alarm ripped through the sky.
Squads of soldiers in standard combat armor roared as they surged out of the barracks like a tidal wave.
At the Martial Artist Association headquarters, several powerful and unparalleled auras soared into the sky, transforming into long rainbows that shot towards the area where the chaos was most intense.
Those ancient families and hidden forces that have been entrenched in the Imperial Capital for many years have also dispatched their strongest members to try to stabilize their own foundations amidst this raging storm, or to fish in troubled waters.
The Imperial Capital has been transformed into a vast and chaotic battlefield.
And right in the center of this chaotic battlefield.
A figure, at the cost of life and soul, is weaving and dodging through the complex buildings of the Imperial Capital at an astonishing speed.
With the immense power brought by the Heroic Soul Resonance and his masterful use of the "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" footwork, Xiao Han narrowly avoided the fatal attacks of Blood Young Master and his companions time and time again.
His movements at this moment were like dancing wildly on the edge of the Grim Reaper's scythe, each dodge a brush with death.
Whenever he locked onto a node in the Blood Fiend Hall's array, he would unleash a portion of the power accumulated within his body to uproot it completely!
Boom! Another key element of the formation exploded under his attack, turning into countless points of light.
The chaos he created expanded, attracting increasingly fierce firepower.
At the same time, he was getting closer and closer to the deadly encirclement meticulously set up by Blood Young Master and others.