I, Xiao Changlü, Have Come to Kill You!
That Qi and Blood surged like the heavens and earth were overturned, like magma erupting, earth-shattering, and its power was incomparably awe-inspiring!
Chen Lingxi felt as if she had just been immersed in the earth-shaking power of Xi Yu Talisman just before it was released, and the next moment she was made to creak and groan by the sudden Qi and Blood.
He and Lu Baizhong turned their heads almost simultaneously, looking in the direction of the burst of Qi and Blood.
At that very moment, the blood-red light pulsating on the Xi Yu Talisman in his arms suddenly froze.
He had already activated the talisman to about 70-80% capacity; it was only one last wisp of spiritual energy away from being fully activated.
However, the surge of Qi and Blood was too violent, like a massive boulder crashing into the center of a lake, shattering the spiritual energy thread connecting him to the talisman.
The blood-red light on the talisman flickered twice unwillingly, then went out with a hiss, like a candle flame blown out by the wind.
Lu Baizhong reacted faster than Chen Lingxi.
The lightning mark that had just appeared between his brows was already dazzlingly bright, and his body was blazing with lightning, about to directly confront the power of Xi Yu Talisman. But at this moment, it suddenly dimmed under the impact of that Qi and Blood.
He raised an eyebrow, a faint hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before sheathing his sword.
The sword emitted a crisp, short metallic clang as it was sheathed, and the pale golden lightning on his body receded like a receding tide, disappearing without a trace.
Chen Lingxi's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she immediately suppressed the backlash from the remaining spiritual energy in the talisman.
Qi and Blood surge forth!
He was like a withered leaf caught in a storm, stumbling back several steps on the riverbank before his back slammed against a protruding river rock, barely managing to regain his balance.
Then, he and Lu Baizhong saw a scene in the far distance.
It was a small mountain, not very high, with a few gnarled old pine trees growing on its summit.
At that moment, a figure stood atop the mountain.
The figure was tall and slender, more than half a head taller than an average person, with broad shoulders and a fierce aura, like a towering mountain.
He bent his knees and squatted down.
The entire action was completed in a single instant.
Then he jumped.
That leap shook the heavens and the earth!
The small mountain collapsed the instant he exerted force with both feet!
The entire mountain exploded out of the center like a pile of building blocks, with rocks, soil, and trees being swept away by an overwhelming force and flying in all directions, crashing onto the surrounding mountains with dull, thunderous thuds.
Smoke and dust billowed into the sky, turning half the sky a grayish-yellow!
The man leaped high into the air, his figure tracing a natural arc through the air. His robes were filled with wind and fluttered in the wind, just like a roc spreading its wings, crossing the sky for miles and landing on another mountain.
The mountain couldn't withstand the immense force descending from the sky; the rocks on the summit cracked inch by inch, and the cracks spread from the top of the mountain all the way to the mountainside, like a dense spider web.
The entire mountain seemed to shrink by three-tenths the size the moment this person landed.
Who exactly is this?
"A martial artist specializing in Qi and Blood can be this powerful!"
Chen Lingxi was utterly astonished!
Just then! The powerful figure seemed to notice Chen Lingxi and Lu Baizhong.
Even from an unknown distance, the man's gaze swept over them like two tangible arrows, piercing through the vast mountains and forests, through the surging sea of clouds, and through all obstacles in the world, landing directly on the two of them.
There was no murderous intent in his gaze, only a pure and undisguised indifference.
It's like a person traveling through the mountains and suddenly spotting a few ants by the roadside; without stopping, they simply brush them aside.
He brushed it aside.
The movements were extremely light and casual.
He simply raised his right hand, slightly bent his index finger, and tapped his thumb on the knuckle of his index finger!
That snap of his fingers was like someone setting off a blazing sun at his fingertips!
An endless stream of Qi and Blood erupted from that single strike!
The Qi and Blood were not the crimson, silver, or golden hues of ordinary martial artists, but a luminous white color that Chen Lingxi had never seen before.
The shimmering white Qi and Blood burst forth from his fingertips, instantly filling half the sky, like an inverted jade ocean, overwhelming Chen Lingxi and Lu Baizhong.
Wherever it passed, the sea of clouds evaporated into nothingness, the rocks were crushed into dust, and even the air itself was squeezed by this force, emitting a groan of unbearable pressure.
Before the jade-colored Qi and Blood even reached his body, Chen Lingxi felt an indescribable sense of oppression descend from the sky, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on his shoulders, bending his back and causing his feet to sink more than an inch into the riverbed.
"Escape!"
Chen Lingxi's heart pounded wildly!
He didn't even have time to glance at Lu Baizhong's reaction before he took off running.
At this moment, his Golden-Soup Blood Qi was pushed to its limit, golden light surged from deep within his bones, and the power of the Mountain-Crushing Force was applied to his legs, each step leaving a deep crater several inches deep in the riverbed.
He moved like a golden shadow flying close to the ground, rushing wildly in the opposite direction from the jade-colored Qi and Blood.
Lu Baizhong's reaction was equally astonishingly fast.
Although the lightning mark between his brows had faded, a trace of lightning still remained.
With a flicker, he transformed into a streak of pale golden lightning and sped off in another direction.
As for killing Chen Lingxi?
Escaping is the priority!
His speed was unbelievable; in the blink of an eye, he had already covered hundreds of feet, leaving only a very thin and faint scorch mark in the air.
At this moment, Xi Mu also circulated his spiritual energy, using it to condense mist into an extremely refined ice crystal slide.
The slide stretched out on the riverbank like a winding ice dragon, carrying Chen Lingxi's feet as she glided across the riverbank.
The mist condensed into ice, and the ice formed a human figure; Chen Lingxi's speed increased several times over at this moment.
Another figure appeared in the valley not far away. It was the old eunuch who had come to see Chen Lingxi. He followed behind Chen Lingxi the whole time, concealing his Qi and Blood, so that even Xi Mu did not notice him.
Lu Baizhong was able to accurately locate Chen Lingxi because of him!
The old eunuch escaped faster than anyone else; his Qi and Blood circulated, transforming into a streak of light as he sped away into the distance!
The man landed on another mountaintop, seemingly uninterested in Chen Lingxi, Lu Baizhong, Xi Mu, or the old eunuch, or perhaps he was heading to someone he cared about more.
He merely glanced at the few figures fleeing in panic before turning his head to look in another direction.
Then, he slightly bent his knees and jumped again.
This time, he jumped higher and farther, his whole body like a jade-colored shooting star, streaking across the sky and rushing towards the far distance.
That speed, that power, that terrifying force that could shatter mountains and split the earth with every move—it was simply unparalleled!
Chen Lingxi slid for several miles on Xi Mu's ice crystal slide before the jade-colored Qi and Blood that descended from the sky just barely passed over his head and crashed into the vast mountain forest behind him.
A deafening roar, like an earthquake, echoed through the mountains and forests. Countless trees were uprooted, and countless rocks were crushed into dust.
He dared not stop, and glided for several more miles until the lingering power of that jade-colored Qi and Blood completely dissipated between heaven and earth. Only then did Xi Mu withdraw his magic and land in a secluded valley.
Before she could catch her breath, Chen Lingxi suddenly turned around and looked in the direction where the person had gone.
In the far distance, another terrifying surge of spiritual energy erupted!
It was as if a dormant volcano had been suddenly awakened from the ground; before the lava even erupted, the earth-shattering pressure had already changed the color of the sky and earth.
Chen Lingxi immediately felt that the fluctuation was familiar; he had seen similar fluctuations in the sea of clouds before!
"It's Consort Chun."
Wherever the spiritual energy rippled, the sea of clouds surged like boiling water, the mountains trembled slightly, and even the Yuan River seemed to freeze for a moment.
At the same time, a voice, as loud as a great bell, resounded throughout the heavens and earth!
"An assassin!"
These three words exploded like three thunderclaps between heaven and earth.
The sound contained a terrifying power of Qi and Blood, echoing through the mountains and rivers, its lingering echoes lasting for a long time.
"Protect the Imperial Concubine!"
The sound exploded again.
This time it was more urgent, more violent, and the power of Qi and Blood and qi contained in the voice was even more terrifying.
Even from an unknown distance, Chen Lingxi could feel the anger and murderous intent contained in that voice.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three deafening explosions followed in quick succession from the direction from which the sound originated.
Each loud bang caused the earth to tremble slightly, and caused boulders to tumble down from the mountainside beneath Chen Lingxi.
Someone else shouted.
"It's Xiao Changlü!"
"This guild dares to enter Capital Prefecture alone!"
Xiao Changlü!
The moment this name reached Chen Lingxi's ears, it stirred up a storm in his heart!
Of course he knew that name.
Of the nineteen rebel kings in the Great Li Kingdom, the most powerful was Xiao Changlü, who called himself the Heavenly King Severing Evil!
This man commanded an army of 300,000, conquered twelve prefectures in succession, and forced the imperial army into a series of defeats.
The manifesto that Liu Changle recited in the Inverted Room was issued by this person.
The proclamation was sharp and incisive, vividly portraying the incompetence and tyranny of Emperor Daye!
"The emperor was tyrannical, levying exorbitant taxes, even on chickens and pigs, squeezing every last penny. He forced the common people to sell their children to support their wives, leaving countless starving corpses in the fields; his dwellings were like hanging bells, and the streets echoed with the cries of anguish."
Chen Lingxi never expected that this rebel king, who commanded 300,000 troops, would dare to venture alone deep into the Capital Prefecture and directly into Yuan River Prefecture!
The Void trembled.
The collision of those terrifying Qi and Blood and spiritual energy continued, each collision unleashing blinding light and deafening roars.
Chen Lingxi stood in the valley, and with the help of an ice mirror formed by Xi Mu's mist, she could barely see the distant horizon.
The sea of clouds had been churned into a mess, with spiritual energy and Qi and Blood colliding and intertwining, dyeing half the sky a magnificent yet terrifying crimson-gold color.
Amidst this crimson-gold hue, a young voice rang out.
The sound was calm yet proud, like a tiger declaring its territory atop a mountain peak. It pierced through the deafening explosion and the surging sea of clouds, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.
"Rong Chun! I, Xiao Changlü, have kept my promise and come to kill you!"
Rong Chun was none other than Consort Chun.
The sound was like a tiger's roar, echoing throughout heaven and earth.
Chen Lingxi's breath hitched slightly.
Xiao Changlü came here to kill Consort Chun.
As a rebel king, he entered the capital alone and took the head of the imperial concubine.
What audacity, what arrogance, and what... confidence!
The moment Xiao Changlü finished speaking, the sky reflected by Xi Mu's Ice Mirror Technique suddenly changed.
Chen Lingxi saw that the clouds and mist in the distance suddenly formed vortexes.
The vortex, which was initially only a few feet in diameter, expanded to several hundred feet in an instant.
The clouds were swept up by the vortex and spun wildly, as if an invisible giant hand was stirring the sea of clouds, causing the clouds to surge and boil.
At the center of the vortex, a flash of inspiration appeared.
The light was initially just a faint, tiny point, but it quickly blazed brightly, bursting forth from the center of the vortex and shooting straight into the sky.
The aura contained an indescribable pressure, like a real sun trapped deep within the vortex, slowly rising.
"The Imperial Concubine is injured; come to the Emperor's rescue!"
Some people shout with great Qi and Blood, and it sounds like thunder.
Chen Lingxi's gaze sharpened slightly.
Consort Chun has been injured.
"If Xiao Changlü could kill Consort Chun..."
Chen Lingxi's thoughts flickered.
Just then, another strange change occurred in the distant Void.
Above the sea of clouds, which had been ravaged by spiritual light and Qi and Blood, a person suddenly appeared.
The person emerged from the Void, walking as if on flat ground, step by step, treading on the void!
With his hands behind his back, the man took a step, and a faint ripple spread out of the Void beneath his feet, pushing the surrounding clouds several feet away.
He wore a long black robe with gold patterns. The robe, made of some unknown material, shimmered with a deep luster under the interplay of spiritual light and Qi and Blood.
The cuffs were embroidered with intricate patterns in gold thread, and a white jade belt was tied around the waist, with a thumb-sized black pearl as the buckle.
What's most unsettling is that his face is covered by a golden mask.
The mask completely covered his face, revealing only his eyes through the eye sockets.
Those eyes were extremely deep, so profound that their depths were unfathomable and their bottom unseen. Only within the depths of their pupils could two faint, barely perceptible golden flames flicker slowly.
He walked with his hands behind his back, stepping into the air, unhurried and unhurried, as if strolling in his own courtyard.
Yet it was this composed gait that made Chen Lingxi feel a sense of oppression even deeper than the jade-colored Qi and Blood and Xiao Changlü's tiger roar.
Then, he heard Xiao Changlü's voice ring out again.
"Yuan Yuan!"
Xiao Changlü only uttered these two words.
Yuan Yuan.
Chen Lingxi had never heard this name before, but when Xiao Changlü uttered those two words, the solemnity in them made Chen Lingxi's heart tighten suddenly.
A person who can command such seriousness from a rebel king who entered the capital alone and threatened to kill the imperial concubine is no ordinary person.
The next moment, Yuan Yuan made his move!
He no longer clasped his hands behind his back, but instead raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and made a light, almost imperceptible press in the Void.
That press seemed casual, but the moment his palm landed, the sea of clouds within a radius of several hundred feet suddenly exploded, as if an invisible giant hand had slammed down from the sky, leaving a huge palm print tens of feet deep in the sea of clouds.
Within the palm print, the air was compressed to its limit, emitting an unbearable, explosive sound, like hundreds of thunderbolts exploding at the same moment.
Xiao Changlü's figure was revealed by that palm strike.
He drew his sword from Void!
Pitch black, like a giant sword as tall as a person being pulled out by him!
Then strike!
That one strike changed the very fabric of the world.
In the blink of an eye, the flashes of blades filled the sky!
Knife and palm clashed.
In that instant, Chen Lingxi felt as if an invisible force had suddenly struck her ear.
All sound vanished. The world was utterly silent, as if one had been sucked into an invisible vacuum.
Only at the point where the blade and palm met, an indescribable light silently expanded, contracted, and expanded again.
Then, the sound returned.
A terrifying sound wave, powerful enough to tear the heavens and earth apart, exploded from the point where the blade and palm clashed, spreading wildly in all directions.
Wherever the sound waves passed, the sea of clouds was shaken into nothingness, the mountains were shaken to the point of cracking and collapsing, and the Yuan River was shaken to the point of surging upwards, turning into a towering wave tens of meters high.
Although the valley beneath Chen Lingxi was extremely far from the battlefield, it was still affected by the lingering force of the sound.
Rock fragments tumbled down the mountainside, and gravel on the ground was shaken several inches off the ground, leaping wildly in the air.
The shockwave made his Qi and Blood surge violently, and he almost vomited blood.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and stared intently at the sky reflected in the ice mirror.
There, Xiao Changlü and Yuan Yuan were already locked in battle.
Xiao Changlü's swordsmanship follows an extremely fierce and powerful style, with each strike carrying a devastating force.
In his hand, the long sword was like a blazing jade sun, sometimes transforming into an overwhelming curtain of blades, and sometimes condensing into a bolt of lightning that pierced through the heavens and earth.
His swordplay was wide and sweeping, with no defense, only offense.
Each strike contained a fearless spirit of "I can break through all laws with a single strike," just like the man himself!
Alone I enter the capital, a lone sword in hand I question the imperial concubine: What joy is there in living, what fear is there in dying?
Yuan Yuan, on the other hand, was completely different.
His methods were more mysterious, more reserved, and more unfathomable.
He walked slowly through the Void with his hands behind his back, each step unhurried. Yet, it was precisely this unhurried pace that allowed him to perfectly evade Xiao Changlü's devastating sword strikes.
Each time he dodged a knife, he would raise his right hand, slightly bend his index finger, and flick it lightly.
Each strike sent forth a golden finger strike, seemingly as thin as a hair, as light as a golden thread gliding through the Void. Yet, when it struck Xiao Changlü's sword strike, it would always shatter the sword's momentum and scatter jade light.
The two then engaged in a fierce battle in the Void.
The flashes of blades and the force of finger strikes intertwined and collided, unleashing beams of light that blotted out the sky.
The light was so intense that even through the ice mirror, Chen Lingxi could only see two blurry figures frantically fighting within it.
Each collision shook the heavens and earth, causing mountains and rivers to tremble, as if two true deities were locked in a life-or-death struggle in the heavens.
Having dodged the impact of the jade-colored Qi and Blood, the shockwave of the sound waves, and the aftershocks of the battlefield, Chen Lingxi stood in the valley, staring blankly at the horizon through the ice mirror.
"Such power of Qi and Blood should be at the Mystic Entry Realm!"
Chen Lingxi finally sensed the immense power of the Mystic Entry Realm realm...
He truly deserves to be called the strongest in this world.
"Even if Xiao Changlü, Xi Yu at the eighth level of the Qi Circulation Eighth Floor Yuan Yuan, were to personally come, he would be no match for these two! The Heavenward Third Floor is probably no better!"
"No wonder, no wonder these Great World cultivators all conceal their identities, silently seizing fortuitous opportunity and cultivating in silence!"
Chen Lingxi a deep breath. He stopped looking, lest his luck turn and a blade of Qi and Blood and qi flew over and shattered him.
He and Xi Mu continued their escape.