Blood Stains Hundred Herbs Hall

The sword shot forth like a meteor, actually tearing through the air with a shriek. In an instant, it was before Lin Baichuan, about to sever his head.

How could Lin Baichuan let him have his way? The moment Lu Changkong struck, he reacted at once. As the sword drew near, he bent backward in an iron bridge to evade the killing blow, then sharply drew his saber.

Clang!

The saber's cry was like exploding thunder. The Seven Kill Saber Art, honed to perfection, erupted in an instant. With one slash, his long saber struck fiercely against Lu Changkong's spirit sword.

With a booming crash, Lu Changkong's spirit sword was actually sent flying by Lin Baichuan's single saber stroke.

"How is that possible?!"

Lu Changkong froze, crying out in disbelief, "My Ice Glaze Sword is a spirit artifact! Your saber is merely mortal-grade—how can it clash head-on with a spirit sword without breaking..."

"So what if it's mortal-grade? A mortal-grade weapon can still cut down your spirit sword."

Lin Baichuan sneered and stepped forward, charging at Lu Changkong like a ferocious tiger. His battle saber trembled as the Seven Kill Saber Art erupted to its limit, bolstered further by Saber Intent at the minor mastery stage.

Clang...

One slash flashed out, swift as thunder, its killing intent surging.

Lu Changkong felt his entire body shudder. In that instant, his mind and will plunged into boundless darkness, as though suppressed beneath a mountain. Yet this was no ordinary mountain, but a mountain of blades, containing heaven-shaking baleful qi and killing intent. It sent chills through his entire body and made him tremble uncontrollably.

Now, as the saber descended, his whole body shook again.

"Damn it, it's actually Saber Intent..."

Lu Changkong bit down on the tip of his tongue. Pain spread through his body, instantly jolting him awake from the oppressive force of Lin Baichuan's Saber Intent. His mind and will awakened at once, and cold sweat broke out across him. Instinctively, he drove his spirit artifact sword up to meet Lin Baichuan's battle saber.

Whoosh... Clang...

A muffled boom erupted. The instant saber and sword collided, Lin Baichuan's battle saber suddenly shuddered, as though it had transformed into a mountain of blades crashing down. Once more, it sent Lu Changkong's sword flying. This stroke unleashed all thirteen thousand jin of Lin Baichuan's physical strength, amplified by the Seven Kill Saber Art at perfection and his minor mastery Saber Intent. The force of that one slash likely exceeded one hundred thousand jin.

Lu Changkong's spirit artifact sword was formidable, but it could not withstand a strike exceeding one hundred thousand jin. The sword was sent flying, yet Lin Baichuan's slash did not stop there. Carrying astonishing baleful qi, it struck Lu Changkong.

The long saber cut through him like slicing tofu, nearly cleaving Lu Changkong into pieces.

The immense impact sent Lu Changkong flying backward while vomiting blood. He smashed through the private room's door and wall before crashing into the hall outside.

In an instant, the once-lively hall exploded into chaos, and everyone fled in all directions in terror.

"Ahhh..."

A shrill scream rang out. Lu Changkong was rolling on the ground in agony, a long, clean saber wound running across his body, nearly severing his bones entirely. His stark white bones were instantly dyed red with blood, which then gushed forth like a spring.

The pain of broken bones naturally pierced straight to the heart.

Lu Changkong's entire face had twisted in agony. His body kept convulsing, a miserable sight to behold.

"Young Master..."

"Young Master..."

Only then did the several guards who had followed Lu Changkong, along with Yuan Ningdong and Yun Xi, come back to their senses. Seeing Lu Changkong lying on the ground screaming, blood gushing from him like a spring, everyone's expressions changed drastically. They cried out instinctively and rushed toward Lu Changkong.

Then, killing intent suddenly surfaced in the eyes of the four guards. They charged straight at Lin Baichuan, roaring in unison, "You dare injure Young Master? Today, you must die. Kill..."

All four attacked with their sabers at once, intending to kill Lin Baichuan in one stroke—an explanation for the Lu Family, and an explanation for Lu Changkong.

"Get lost!"

Lin Baichuan snorted coldly and immediately activated the Golden Bell Shield, which had already reached the seventh layer. Inner force churned within him, and the skin across his body seemed as hard as iron.

Clang!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In a single breath, he blocked the attacks of all four guards. Their battle sabers struck his body as though they had chopped into metal, yet no matter how they attacked, he remained completely unscathed. The four blades left only four faint marks on his body.

"Damn it, how is this possible?!"

The four men cried out at once, their faces filled with disbelief.

Though the four of them were weaker than Lu Changkong, they were still experts who had entered the Eighth Rank Bone Tempering Realm. A single slash from them carried perhaps ten thousand jin of force.

Yet now, they could not even break Lin Baichuan's skin. He was simply impervious to blades and spears!

"You can have a taste of my saber too."

After Lu Changsheng blocked the four guards' attacks, his pupils narrowed slightly. His long saber trembled, and in an instant, he unleashed four slashes, all striking the four guards simultaneously.

Splat... Splat...

As the four slashes fell, the four guards were immediately cut in two, all severed into halves. Blood splattered everywhere, surging like spring water and instantly dyeing the ground crimson. The stench of blood filled the entire Hundred Herbs Hall.

At that moment, Hundred Herbs Hall fell into complete chaos.

Shrill screams, panicked people fleeing, and those trying to fish in troubled waters all mixed together, turning Hundred Herbs Hall into a complete mess.

Yet no one came forward to deal with it. Yuan Ningdong and Yun Xi, the managers of Hundred Herbs Hall, had already been stunned senseless. Lu Changkong had been severely injured, while the four guards he brought had been directly dismembered. The thick stench of blood assaulted their noses, ears, minds, and wills, turning their faces deathly pale as their bodies trembled.

Everything had happened too quickly—so quickly that they had not even had a chance to react, much less pay attention to the chaos within Hundred Herbs Hall.

"I originally planned to let you live a few more days. What a pity—you just had to court death yourself!"

Lin Baichuan carried his bloodstained saber and walked step by step toward the severely wounded, screaming Lu Changkong.

On the blade's tip, drops of blood fell one after another. The sound was faint, yet to Yun Xi and Yuan Ningdong, it was like a great bell tolling, hammering against their hearts.

"Young Master Lin, you cannot kill the young master! That would mean becoming enemies with the entire Lu Family!"

Just as Lin Baichuan had stepped to within ten paces of Lu Changkong, Yuan Ningdong finally could not hold back any longer. He stepped forward at once, bowed to Lin Baichuan, and said, "This old man has heard a little of Young Master Lin's story as well. You rose from humble beginnings, going from an ordinary man to a Demon Slayer Guard of the Demon Suppression Division. Every step of that journey has been hard-won.

"So do not ruin your bright future over a moment of hotheadedness.

"Our young master now holds an official post and serves in the City Guard Army. If you insist on killing him, you would be murdering an Imperial Court official. Young Master Lin, you should know full well just how grave that crime is..."

"He actually holds a post in the City Guard Army!"

Lin Baichuan's brows drew tightly together. If that was true, then this matter had become troublesome. At the very least, killing Lu Changkong would no longer be so simple.

Countless thoughts immediately flashed through Lin Baichuan's mind. He swept his saber sideways, its edge brimming with fierce force, and stopped it at Lu Changkong's throat. Lu Changkong was so terrified that half his soul nearly fled his body, and he trembled from head to toe.

Lin Baichuan merely gave a cold laugh. "Bring me the Mysterious Sun Fruit, or you'd better watch that little life of yours..."