The Seventh Prince's eyes flashed with a cold light. Instead of retreating, he charged forward!
He took a single step, his figure turning into a streak of light as he went straight for Huyan Lie!
Huyan Lie brought his giant axe down, splitting mountains and cleaving rocks!
The Seventh Prince dodged to the side. The axe grazed his shoulder and missed, smashing into the boulder behind him. The boulder stood a full three zhang tall, but one blow split it in two, and it crashed to the ground!
In that instant, the Seventh Prince's blade arrived!
The blade flashed like snow, aimed straight at Huyan Lie's throat!
Huyan Lie's pupils contracted. He swept his giant axe back, meeting the blade!
"Clang—!!!"
Sparks flew everywhere, and waves of force surged!
Riding the force of that strike, the Seventh Prince spun sharply and slapped his left palm toward Night Owl Elder, who was attacking from the side!
His palm wind cut like a blade, transforming into dozens of fierce bursts of energy that enveloped Night Owl Elder!
Night Owl Elder's expression changed. He didn't dare take the blow head-on, and retreated rapidly as he struck out with both palms. Black light flashed as his attacks collided with the bursts of energy, setting off a string of explosive booms!
The Seventh Prince was about to pursue when a thick stench of blood came from behind—
Blood Butcher Elder had arrived!
Without even turning around, he slashed backhandedly!
The blade flashed in an arc, sweeping behind him!
Blood Butcher Elder sneered and struck out with both palms. Blood-red light blazed as he took the blow head-on!
"Shhk—!"
The sound of the blade cutting into flesh!
The blade carved two deep, bone-revealing wounds into Blood Butcher Elder's palms, and blood gushed out!
But instead of retreating, he seized the opportunity to strike the Seventh Prince in the back!
"Bang!"
The protective true energy shuddered violently. The Seventh Prince grunted and spat out a mouthful of blood!
Using the force of that blow, he shot forward, putting distance between himself and the three men in an instant!
In the span of just three breaths, they had exchanged more than ten moves, and he had already suffered internal injuries.
Of the three men facing him, only Blood Butcher Elder had suffered a minor injury. Huyan Lie and Night Owl Elder were completely unharmed.
That was what it meant to be surrounded by three opponents of equal strength—he could wound one, but he couldn't dodge the attacks of the other two.
Huyan Lie grinned. "The Great Zhou royal family is nothing special."
Night Owl Elder picked up the thread in a sinister voice. "Seventh Prince, today is the day you die."
Blood Butcher Elder licked the blood on his hand, his scarlet eyes full of madness. "His blood is mine."
The three charged again!
This time, their coordination was even more seamless.
Huyan Lie attacked head-on, chopping, hacking, sweeping, and thrusting with his giant axe. Every blow could split a mountain, forcing the Seventh Prince to meet him head-on.
Night Owl Elder circled at his side, black light flickering across both palms. Each move was sinister, aimed straight at the Seventh Prince's weaknesses.
Blood Butcher Elder waited for his chance behind him, a stench of blood spreading around him. Every time he struck, he went for the kill.
Outnumbered three to one, the Seventh Prince was forced back step by step.
His blade work was peerless, its light sweeping in every direction and keeping Huyan Lie from pressing too close.
He moved as fast as lightning, dodging Night Owl Elder's sneak attacks several times.
His protective true energy was powerful enough to withstand three of Blood Butcher Elder's palm strikes. Though he spat blood, he still hadn't fallen.
But he knew that if this went on, he was doomed.
He had to break out!
A resolute look flashed in his eyes. He reached into his robes with his left hand and pulled out a black sphere the size of a fist.
Heaven-Shaking Thunder!
A secret treasure of the royal family. One could kill an early-stage Origin-Opening Realm expert and severely injure a mid-stage one.
It was his lifesaving weapon, something he would never use unless he had no other choice.
But now, he had no other choice.
He hurled the Heaven-Shaking Thunder at Huyan Lie, who was directly in front of him!
Huyan Lie's expression changed drastically. He swept his giant axe sideways, trying to split the black sphere apart!
But the instant the axe touched the Heaven-Shaking Thunder—
"Boom—!!!"
An earth-shattering explosion!
A violent shockwave swept outward. The rocks and trees within a hundred-zhang radius instantly turned to dust!
Huyan Lie was blasted backward, his flesh mangled and a huge, bone-deep wound gouged into his chest!
Blood Butcher Elder was nearby and caught in the blast as well. Half his body was blown apart, and he plunged down with a scream!
Night Owl Elder was the farthest away. Seeing that things had gone wrong, he turned and ran, but the shockwave still caught him. He spat out a mouthful of blood!
The Seventh Prince was struck by the blast too. Pain wracked his body, and blood seeped from all seven orifices.
But he didn't stop.
He bit through the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto his blade. His aura surged in an instant!
Royal Secret Art: Blood Burning!
The cost was enormous. It would burn ten years of his life, and afterward he would be so gravely injured that he couldn't get back up.
But right now, he couldn't afford to care!
He swung his blade at Blood Butcher Elder as he fell!
Blood Butcher Elder desperately tried to dodge, but half his body was gone. He couldn't move out of the way!
"Pfft!"
The blade cleaved into his skull, splitting him in two!
The Seventh Prince didn't spare him another glance. He turned and charged at Huyan Lie!
Huyan Lie struggled to his feet. His giant axe had been knocked away, and he stood empty-handed, terror written across his face!
"You—"
The Seventh Prince gave him no chance to speak.
The blade flashed like a strip of silk, aimed straight at Huyan Lie's heart!
Huyan Lie desperately struck out with one palm!
As the blade cut into his chest, his palm slammed into the Seventh Prince's shoulder!
"Crack!"
His shoulder bone shattered!
The Seventh Prince was flung backward, blood spraying from his mouth!
But he stared fixedly at Huyan Lie and saw the burly figure stagger before crashing to the ground, its life or death unknown.
Night Owl Elder had already fled a hundred zhang away.
The Seventh Prince wanted to pursue him, but the moment he moved, his vision went black.
No.
His injuries were too severe.
He looked in the direction Night Owl Elder had fled, then at Huyan Lie, who lay motionless on the ground, and clenched his teeth.
He couldn't pursue him.
If he did, he would be the one to die.
He turned and ran.
Drawing on the last of the Blood Burning secret art's power, he became a streak of light and sped south!
Behind him, Night Owl Elder fled without looking back. Only after flying a hundred li did he dare glance behind him.
The sight sent a chill through his body.
Three Origin-Opening Realm experts had ambushed one man, yet one was dead, one was gravely wounded, and he himself had been crippled.
The man who had fought his way out of a pool of blood was practically inhuman.
He shuddered and fled for the distant horizon with all his might.
By the time the Seventh Prince landed atop the walls of North-Rejecting City, he was barely recognizable as a person.
His moon-white robe was soaked through with blood, turning dark red. A massive wound ran diagonally across his chest, from his left shoulder to his right waist. His flesh curled open, revealing his ribs—some of them already broken, their jagged ends stark white. His right shoulder had caved in, his shoulder blade shattered into several pieces. His face was covered in blood, which still seeped from all seven orifices.
When he landed, his legs buckled, and he fell straight to his knees on the wall.
Zhao Zheng rushed over and caught him. "Your Highness! Your Highness!"
The Seventh Prince tried to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of black blood, splattering Zhao Zheng from head to toe.
"Your Highness!!"
Struggling, the Seventh Prince pulled a jade token from inside his robes and pressed it into Zhao Zheng's hand.
The jade token was covered in blood and riddled with cracks. It looked ready to shatter at any moment.
"The Capital..." His voice was as faint as a guttering candle in the wind, halting and broken. "Send word... back there... someone... has colluded with the enemy..."
After saying this, he closed his eyes and fainted.
Zhao Zheng held him, trembling all over.
Everyone on the city wall fell to their knees.
Li Jinshui stood not far away, watching the scene, his heart clenched as if an iron fist had seized it.
The invincible figure who had just stood in midair, slaying a Pulse-Opening Realm expert with a single gesture, now looked like a tattered leaf.
He lowered his head and looked at his hands.
In the distance, a faint streak of light vanished from the horizon in the direction Night Owl Elder had fled.
At the Di Army camp, the Di People fought desperately to retrieve the fallen, burly figure.
The battle was over.
But everyone knew—
A greater storm had only just begun.
Before you continue