117: Chapter 117 The Killing Begins

"Act now."

Xiao Ruobai's tone held no hesitation, each word carrying an unyielding resolve, as if to unleash three years of suppressed endurance and hatred.

Fang Hanyu nodded, his Chaos Sword Qi humming softly within the Primordial Sword sheath, as if responding to this Battle Intent.

The aura around them suddenly erupted; golden Battle Qi and Chaos Sword Qi intertwined before them into a sharp barrier. Imperial Guards patrolling nearby had just raised their long sabers when they were swept away by an invisible wave of Qi, not even having time to scream.

"Who dares to trespass into the Imperial Palace!"

The Golden-Armored Commander at the palace gate roared, his long spear, imbued with Purple Mansion Realm spiritual power, thrusting directly at Xiao Ruobai's face.

He had guarded the palace gate for many years, and never had anyone dared to force their way in so brazenly; his eyes were filled with killing intent.

Xiao Ruobai neither dodged nor retreated. The Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd spun in his palm, its tip gleaming with golden light, and he seemingly slowly flicked it forward.

With a crisp clang, the Golden-Armored Commander's long spear was forcibly flicked away. The halberd tip then sliced across his throat, and hot blood splattered onto the vermillion palace wall, like blossoming crimson flowers.

"Annoying."

Xiao Ruobai's tone was flat, as if merely brushing dust from his clothes. His steps unbroken, he charged directly towards the depths of the Imperial Palace.

The Golden-Armored Commander's body crashed to the ground, and the Imperial Guards at the palace gate instantly erupted into Chaos.

"Assassins! Protect His Majesty!"

Piercing shouts rose one after another. Squads of heavily armored soldiers poured in from the palace paths on both sides, their long sabers gleaming coldly. The lowest spiritual power fluctuations were Foundation Establishment Realm, and there were not a few Purple Mansion Realm captains among them.

"Kill!"

Fang Hanyu let out a low growl. The moment the Primordial Sword left its sheath, Chaos Sword Qi surged out like a tide, and with a single strike, he cut three Imperial Guards in half at the waist.

His sword techniques were agile and swift. Wherever his sword light passed, the Imperial Guards' armor shattered like paper, blood and severed limbs scattered across the ground, and the palace path was quickly covered in a crimson layer.

Xiao Ruobai's War God Body fully erupted. Golden Battle Qi solidified into a tangible armor around him. He didn't even need to deliberately swing his halberd; merely the residual Battle Qi around him could shatter the bones and tendons of charging Imperial Guards.

A Cave Heaven Realm general attempted to form a Formation with spiritual power to block them. The moment the Formation light barrier was conjured, it was split open by Xiao Ruobai's halberd. The halberd tip even pierced through the general's chest, leaving him dead with unseeing eyes.

"Cave Heaven Realm..."

From atop the palace wall, a soldier responsible for lookout watched the slaughter below, which was like cutting melons and vegetables. His voice trembled, "Are these two... monsters?"

More and more Imperial Guards converged from all parts of the Imperial Palace. Their dark armor formed a continuous line on the palace path, dense like an ant colony.

Yet, before Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu, these meticulously trained soldiers were utterly powerless. Xiao Ruobai's Battle Qi was overwhelmingly powerful, each strike carrying crushing force. Wherever the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd swept, screams followed.

Fang Hanyu's Chaos Sword Qi, on the other hand, was precise and vicious, targeting vital points. With every flash of his sword, an Imperial Guard fell.

Neither of them concealed their aura. Golden Battle Qi and Chaos Sword Qi shot straight into the sky. The Cultivators within the Imperial Palace immediately sensed this terrifying pressure.

It was a power far exceeding the Purple Mansion Realm, capable of even shaking the Heavenly Human Realm!

The Imperial Family's revered Cultivators who were cultivating in the side halls, and even the concubines in the inner palace, were all terrified by this aura, trembling all over. They rushed out of their palaces, looking towards the direction from which the Battle Qi came, their eyes filled with dread.

"Who dares to commit violence in the Imperial Palace!"

Inside the Imperial Study, the Great Yan Emperor slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his face ashen.

He had just finished listening to the Shadow Guard's report and was still regretting not being able to curry favor with the mysterious powerhouse when news of assassins breaking into the palace arrived. Fury instantly ignited in his eyes.

"Where are the Imperial Guards? Where are the revered Cultivators? A bunch of good-for-nothings! Can't even stop two people?"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

The eunuch knelt trembling on the ground, "Outside... news has come from outside. The assassins are too strong. Our brothers in the Purple Mansion Realm and Cave Heaven Realm... they can't stop them!"

"What?"

The Emperor's pupils contracted. He knew there were many skilled fighters hidden among the Imperial Palace's Imperial Guards, including three Cave Heaven Realm generals. Could they not even hold them back for a moment?

With a tone of resolute command, he spoke in a deep voice to the seemingly empty Imperial Study: "Qin Feng! Immediately take all Shadow Guards to intercept the assassins. You must defend the Imperial Study to the death! I want to see who dares to run wild in My Imperial Palace!"

As soon as his voice fell, a faint rustle of clothing came from behind the screen on the west side of the Imperial Study, and a figure in dark-colored tight-fitting clothes swiftly walked out.

The newcomer had a stern face, a saber scar diagonally crossing his left brow bone down to his jaw, and the hilt of the short blade at his waist was engraved with the character "Qin." It was none other than Qin Feng, the leader of the Imperial Palace's Shadow Guards.

He knelt on one knee, his movements swift and without a hint of delay, his voice deep as iron: "Your servant obeys! I will immediately gather the Shadow Guards and ensure the assassins do not approach the Imperial Study by even half a step!"

With that, as he stood up, his steps already left afterimages, and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared outside the Imperial Study door.

Within moments, dark figures quietly emerged from the shadows throughout the Imperial Palace. Twelve Shadow Guards with condensed auras quickly assembled outside the hall.

The lowest among them were Cave Heaven Realm Middle Stage Cultivators, and three of them had even reached Cave Heaven Realm Late Stage. Each had an expressionless face and sharp eyes.

Their weapons gleamed with a cold light, having been poisoned. These were the hidden trump card forces of the Great Yan Dynasty, never easily deployed, but now they were to be used against two assassins of unknown origin.

And Qin Feng stood at the head of the team, his hand resting on the hilt of his short blade, his gaze sweeping towards the direction from which the Battle Qi emanated at the end of the palace path, his eyes filled with killing intent.

Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu had just repelled a wave of Imperial Guards when the twelve dark figures darted out from both sides like phantoms, instantly forming a encirclement.

Xiao Ruobai looked up at the leader, his eyes suddenly narrowing. The golden Battle Qi around him even trembled uncontrollably.

The saber scar diagonally crossing the leader's left brow bone down to his jaw stung the eyes in the morning light. Who else could it be but Qin Feng?

It was precisely that poisoned short blade that had cut across his father Xiao Zhan's back back then, making that streak of blood particularly glaring in the heavy snow.

And the faces of the three Shadow Guards beside Qin Feng were also firmly etched in Xiao Ruobai's mind; they too had been involved in the events of that year.

"Qin Feng! And you bastards—"

Xiao Ruobai's voice seemed to be squeezed through gritted teeth. The Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd vibrated violently in his palm, and the golden Battle Qi surged uncontrollably, even dyeing the surrounding air with a golden glow.

"The debt from back then, it's time to settle it today! Come and die!"

Qin Feng's pupils contracted sharply. He hadn't expected the assassin before him to recognize him, nor had he expected the opponent's Battle Qi to be so overbearing.

He dared not be careless. He waved his hand, signaling the three Shadow Guards to step forward and block, while he himself gripped his short blade, preparing to look for an opportunity to counterattack.

Fang Hanyu's hand gripping the Primordial Sword tightened slightly, but he did not step forward.

He understood the madness in Xiao Ruobai's eyes. This was the hatred his Senior Brother had hidden for three years, a debt that had to be settled by his own hands.

He only needed to stand by, blocking any potential unforeseen circumstances, not allowing anyone to disturb this long-overdue revenge.

Chaos Sword Qi quietly circulated outside the sword sheath, forming an invisible barrier that forced back all Imperial Guards and remaining Shadow Guards who tried to approach.

"Go! Take him down!"

Qin Feng roared fiercely. The twelve Shadow Guards moved simultaneously like coiled venomous snakes.

Black iron chains whistled through the air, long sabers gleamed coldly as they struck, and wolf-tooth arrows were notched and ready to fire. Twelve streams of Cave Heaven Realm spiritual power surged densely towards Xiao Ruobai.

Killing intent churned in Xiao Ruobai's eyes. Three years of suppressed hatred transformed entirely into power at this moment.

He didn't even retreat half a step. The Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd spun abruptly in his palm, and golden Battle Qi erupted with a roar, condensing into a ten-foot-long light blade that swept out with a sharp whistle, tearing through the air.

"Pfft!" "Pfft!"

Two screams sounded almost simultaneously. The two Shadow Guards charging at the very front were cut in half at the waist by the Battle Qi light blade before they even had time to deploy their defenses. Blood and severed limbs splattered, and they crashed heavily onto the bluestone slabs, instantly losing all signs of life.

The remaining ten Shadow Guards' pupils contracted, and their steps instinctively halted.