A Single Slash Shatters the Eagle Wolf Guard Office—None Can Stop Him! (Seeking Monthly Votes, Seeking Follow-ups)

"This brat was truly cautious!"

Looking at the token thrown onto the ground, Wang Yan frowned slightly.

Martial artists of the jianghu believed that Zhou Qing possessed a great opportunity. Wang Yan was no different, so upon hearing of traces suspected to be Zhou Qing's whereabouts, he had followed the Eagle Wolf Guard in pursuit.

But he had not expected Zhou Qing to be so powerful that he had killed Fang Yuan, the Red Wolf Commander who had grasped a Sword Intent Seed. This made Wang Yan wary, and he did not dare make a move.

Although he had also transformed his Flame Momentum into a Flame Intent Seed, in terms of strength, he was only on par with Fang Yuan.

That Zhou Qing had reached the point of being able to kill Fang Yuan in such a short time was enough to show that he possessed a great opportunity. Yet he did not know how to step into the Xiantian Realm, seeming to lack information in that regard.

That let Wang Yan see an opportunity.

Thus, he had not chosen to flee at once. Instead, he had revealed himself and tried to recruit Zhou Qing into the Fire Worship Cult.

Then, in order to lower Zhou Qing's guard, he had freely told him the secret of how to step into Xiantian. Among the circle of Peak First-rate Martial Artists, this was not truly much of a secret.

What mattered most were the things required to enter Xiantian.

Even if one knew how to step into Xiantian, neither Spiritual Matter containing Heaven and Earth Origin Qi nor a Divine Intent Diagram was something an ordinary Peak First-rate Martial Artist could obtain.

Most top-tier forces did not possess Spiritual Matter or Divine Intent Diagrams.

If the Innate Grandmaster of one of these top-tier forces passed away in meditation, that force would swiftly decline. Sometimes, the Innate Grandmaster would pass away one moment, and enemies would come knocking the next, swallowing and carving up the force.

Therefore, Wang Yan had used Spiritual Matter and a Divine Intent Diagram as bait to recruit Zhou Qing into the Fire Worship Cult. He believed the other man would not refuse.

Zhou Qing was a major criminal wanted by the imperial court. Apart from the Fire Worship Cult, no force would dare take him in. If he wanted resources to enter the Xiantian Realm, joining the Fire Worship Cult was his only path.

As long as Zhou Qing accepted the token,

Wang Yan could use a secret technique to lock onto his location.

Then, he could call friends and summon experts from the Fire Worship Cult to deal with Zhou Qing together and seize the opportunity on him.

Yet he had not expected the other man to be so cautious.

After the two had parted, Zhou Qing had immediately thrown away the token.

Although Zhou Qing had not gone far and Wang Yan could continue pursuing him by other means, if Wang Yan alone had been confident of dealing with Zhou Qing, he would have acted outside the ruined temple earlier.

"Consider yourself lucky!"

Wang Yan picked up the token and put it away. Then, with a flicker of his body, he left the place.

Taining Prefecture's Prefecture City.

It was prosperous and bustling, its crowds flowing like woven threads.

The Eagle Wolf Guard, the most feared force in the Great Xuan Dynasty, established a branch office in every Prefecture City. Taining Prefecture's Eagle Wolf Guard Office stood at the center of this city. Its buildings were majestic and imposing, inspiring fear at a glance.

The dark and somber Eagle Wolf Guard Office resembled a colossal beast crouching on the ground. Even beneath the dazzling noonday sun, it exuded a chilling gloom that sank into the marrow. The five jet-black words, "Eagle Wolf Guard Office," on the plaque above its gate had strokes like blades, silently slicing apart the warmth of the sunlight.

Other than the Eagle Wolf Guard themselves, every passerby on the road—peddlers carrying shoulder poles, wandering young martial drifters, shop assistants from nearby stores, and gang disciples—kept far away from the alley entrance where the Eagle Wolf Guard Office stood.

Now and then, when someone secretly glanced at that dreaded office, their eyes carried hatred.

BOOM—

A thunderous crash that could shatter stone and shake the heavens broke the deadlock of silence.

The sound was like heavenly lightning falling from the ninth sky, smashing fiercely into everyone's hearts. The entire alley where the office stood seemed to tremble.

This sudden scene drew countless gazes at once, and everyone involuntarily turned toward the source of the tremendous crash.

The plaque above the Eagle Wolf Guard Office gate, symbolizing supreme authority, had been cleaved in two with a single slash. The crossbeam collapsed, while the vermilion-lacquered gates that had once stood solemn and dignified were also chopped into pieces by that one slash.

Fragments of the plaque scattered in every direction. Some even flew onto the street more than ten zhang away, drawing startled cries from pedestrians as they hurriedly dodged aside.

The collapsed crossbeam smashed a pit into the open ground before the office, sending dust billowing into the air, where it lingered for a long time.

"Good heavens!"

"The gate... the gate's been breached?!"

"This is the Eagle Wolf Guard Office! Who could be so bold?"

"Who? Who dared be so utterly audacious..."

The streets and alleys erupted in uproar.

Everyone present was dumbstruck, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

As the symbol of the Great Xuan Dynasty's military might, the Eagle Wolf Guard Office's prestige and inviolability had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts.

Yet today, someone had dared to challenge its authority so brazenly, cleaving apart the Eagle Wolf Guard Office's plaque and gates with a single slash. This was undoubtedly a naked provocation against the Eagle Wolf Guard.

Although people of the jianghu called the Eagle Wolf Guard the imperial court's hounds and hawks, even if they were displeased, they could only act in secret and avoid leaving evidence behind. Otherwise, it would be rebellion, inviting the Eagle Wolf Guard's full-scale extermination.

Only rebel leaders like the Fire Worship Cult would dare openly attack the Eagle Wolf Guard Office like this.

"Who is this person? He actually attacked the Eagle Wolf Guard Office. What nerve! Could he be a Fire Worship Cult rebel?"

"Probably not. If he were a Fire Worship Cult rebel, he would not hide his identity. They would surely make a grand display and proclaim their own fame."

"Could it be some reclusive master emerging into the world, dissatisfied with the Eagle Wolf Guard's actions and deliberately coming to teach them a lesson?"

"Whoever he is, anyone who dares attack the Eagle Wolf Guard Office is an enemy of the entire Great Xuan Dynasty. He definitely won't escape."

Shock flickered in some people's eyes, while others wore a trace of excitement. Seeing the Eagle Wolf Guard suffer a setback, they nearly wanted to clap and cheer.

Everyone's eyes turned in unison toward the figure before the Eagle Wolf Guard Office, dressed in black, wearing a bamboo hat, and gripping a long saber.

At that moment, hurried footsteps came from within the office. Several dozen Eagle Wolf Guards clad in Profound Wolf uniforms and wielding sharp weapons rushed out, swiftly surrounding Zhou Qing.

At their head was a Red Wolf Deputy Commander of the Eagle Wolf Guard. He was tall and powerfully built, with sword-like brows and bright eyes, his gaze sharp. Holding a coldly gleaming spear, he shouted sternly, "You brazen madman! How dare you trespass into the Eagle Wolf Guard Office? Do you know this is a capital crime?!"

"Hmph, so what if it's the Eagle Wolf Guard?" Zhou Qing said calmly. "Haven't you been searching for me all along? Today, I, Zhou Qing, have come. Let's see what methods you truly possess!"

Before his words had faded, Zhou Qing moved, suddenly charging forward. His figure split from one into ten, shifting without fixed form.

This was the Illusion Demon Movement Technique cultivated to its utmost limit. When unleashed with full force, it could manifest nine afterimages, confusing an enemy's senses and making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.

"Not good!"

The Red Wolf Deputy Commander holding the spear underwent a drastic change of expression. He wanted to strike, but a terrifying chill invaded his mind, freezing his thoughts solid.

He discovered that his body could not move. His spear momentum, which had reached the Minor Success stage, could not resist this freezing power at all.

Pfft!

The long saber swept past without a sound.

The spear in the Red Wolf Deputy Commander's hand was severed, along with his head. Half the spear and his head fell to the ground at the same time.

As a First-rate Martial Artist at the seventh level of the Acquired Realm, this Red Wolf Deputy Commander was instantly killed by Zhou Qing with a single slash.

The surrounding Eagle Wolf Guards were all stunned, standing rooted to the spot as though their bodies and thoughts had also been frozen by the Freezing Momentum.

As the Great Xuan Dynasty's martial force, the Eagle Wolf Guard's members were all battle-hardened martial artists. Even the lowest-ranking Profound Wolf Guards were Peak Second-rate Martial Artists. They acted decisively, destroying families and wiping out clans at the slightest move, making countless criminals tremble at their name.

But now, they were shaken by the sight before them. They stood where they were, not daring to move, watching helplessly as Zhou Qing walked step by step into the Eagle Wolf Guard Office.

The Deputy Commander had been killed in a single strike, and Commander Fang Yuan was not currently in the office. Facing Zhou Qing, no one dared stop him—and no one could stop him!