621: Chapter 617 Zhao Family Guards

Xuanyuan Yao's lips curled into a mocking smile. "You are not worthy of knowing."

As the words fell, Xuanyuan Yao's figure flickered. Zhao Hu had no time to react before Xuanyuan Yao grabbed him by the throat.

A layer of thin ice covered Xuanyuan Yao's fingers. A bone-chilling cold instantly spread through Zhao Hu's entire body, freezing his blood and Divine Soul. With astonishing strength, he lifted Zhao Hu high into the air.

Zhao Hu struggled violently, his hands clutching Xuanyuan Yao's wrists so tightly that his nails almost dug into the flesh. He tried to break free, but Xuanyuan Yao's grip was like an iron vice, unmoving.

He could feel the Aura of death approaching step by step. The Nascent Soul within his body was on the verge of collapsing, and he barely had the strength left to beg for mercy.

"You... you dare kill me? I am the commander of the Zhao Family guards! If you kill me, the Zhao Family will surely exhaust all their efforts to hunt you down to the end!" Zhao Hu's voice trembled as he used his last bit of strength to try and threaten Xuanyuan Yao with the Zhao Family's power.

"Hunt me down?" Xuanyuan Yao sneered. "Since I dared to act, I am not afraid of your Zhao Family's pursuit. Today, let alone a mere guard commander like you, even if Zhao Chengyi or Zhao Hao were here, they couldn't save you!"

Having said that, Xuanyuan Yao applied slight pressure with his fingers, and a crisp sound of bone cracking came from Zhao Hu's neck.

*Crack—* Zhao Hu's body instantly stiffened. The fear and resentment in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by an endless deathly stillness.

His head slumped down powerlessly, his breath ceased, and his life was completely extinguished. A thin layer of ice quickly covered his corpse, freezing it into an icy cadaver.

Xuanyuan Yao released his grip, and Zhao Hu's icy corpse crashed heavily to the ground, shattering into pieces. Ice crystals and blood scattered everywhere, a shocking sight.

Just then, the dozen or so Zhao Family guards on both sides of the hall finally snapped out of it. Although they were trembling with fear, they remembered their duty, gritted their teeth, drew the long sabers at their waists, and charged toward Xuanyuan Yao.

These dozen or so guards all had Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivation and were Zhao Hu's trusted subordinates. Usually, they acted tyrannically within the Zhao Family, but facing Xuanyuan Yao now, they didn't even dare to breathe loudly and could only force themselves forward.

Xuanyuan Yao's eyes turned cold. Without any nonsense, he waved his right hand, circulating the Ice Heart Art to its full extent. Countless ice spikes rose from the ground, shooting toward the guards like sharp swords.

"Frozen for Ten Thousand Miles!"

As the words fell, the cold air in the hall surged again. The figures of the dozen or so guards were instantly frozen. Before they could even scream, they turned into over a dozen ice sculptures. Their long sabers were also frozen in their hands, shattering at the slightest touch.

The hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.

All the Loose Cultivators and the women of the Misty Rain Tower were trembling with fear, their faces as pale as paper.

The looks they gave Xuanyuan Yao were filled with fear and awe.

Looking at Zhao Hu's shattered remains and the dozen ice sculptures, the ecstasy on Zhao Yue's face was instantly replaced by terror. He shook like a sieve. He never imagined that Xuanyuan Yao would be so ruthless, not only daring to directly kill the Zhao Family's guard commander but also taking out over a dozen guards in one go. What was even more ridiculous was that throughout the entire process, he didn't even deign to draw the twin blades on his back!

The hatred in his heart had long been completely replaced by fear. He no longer dared to harbor the slightest resentment or resistance. He quickly lowered his head, slamming his forehead heavily against the cold floor, and continued kowtowing. His voice trembled so much it was almost tuneless: "Ninety-one, ninety-two... ninety-nine, one hundred! Have mercy, Little Immortal! I've finished the hundred kowtows!!"

Xuanyuan Yao sneered, "Finished? I'll kill you even if you're finished!!"

Xuanyuan Yao's gaze swept across everyone in the hall, carrying a majesty that looked down upon the world. "From this day forward, in Cangwu City, any member of the Zhao Family who dares to oppress the commoners or commit evil deeds again will be executed without mercy!"

At this moment, outside the Misty Rain Tower, a scarlet figure stood quietly in the wind and snow, silently observing everything inside.

It was indeed Murong Gu.

He did not intervene, merely watching Xuanyuan Yao quietly. A flash of approval and pride crossed his eyes; Xuanyuan Yao's strength and courage far exceeded his expectations.

Just then, a series of rapid and heavy footsteps, accompanied by the uniform clashing of armor, came from outside the Misty Rain Tower. They grew closer and louder, like thunder, causing the entire building to tremble slightly.

These footsteps were orderly and powerful, filled with a murderous Aura, far beyond what ordinary guards could compare to. It was the sound of the Zhao Family Imperial Guards, an iron army that had once leveled the Murong Family and was stained with blood. They were the core force of the Zhao Family's external wars and the most feared combat force in Cangwu City.

Everyone in the hall, upon hearing these footsteps, saw their faces turn even paler, and the fear in their hearts deepened.

The Loose Cultivators all held their breath, their eyes full of despair; they knew all too well the terror of the Zhao Family Imperial Guards.

The owner of the Misty Rain Tower felt her body go limp, nearly fainting. The thing she feared most had finally happened.

The surviving ordinary Zhao Family guards, hearing the footsteps, had a flash of ecstasy in their eyes. As if seeing a lifeline, they all raised their heads and looked toward the entrance.

"They're here! It's the Zhao Family Imperial Guards! It's our Zhao Family's iron army!"

"Great! The Imperial Guard lords are here; we're saved!"

"Quick, report to Commander Zhao! The Third Young Master was humiliated here. Quickly, ask the Imperial Guard lords to uphold justice for us!"

The surviving Zhao Family guards were so excited their voices trembled. They shouted toward the entrance, their tones filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.

This troop was the Zhao Family Imperial Guards, numbering over a hundred. Each was tall and had a sharp Aura. Their bodies radiated thick fluctuations of the Nascent Soul Realm, with no shortage of Late Nascent Soul Stage experts among them, and even a few with Soul Transformation Stage combat power. The lineup was truly terrifying.

Their armor was engraved with the Zhao Family totem, and a faint scent of blood lingered around them. It was a murderous Aura left from years of warfare and slaughtering living beings. Just standing there was enough to make one shudder.

At the very front of the Imperial Guard troop stood a cold-faced middle-aged man dressed in dark iron armor. His figure was as upright as a pine tree, his gaze as sharp as a blade, and his Aura steady and terrifying. He was impressively at the Early Spirit Transformation Stage!

He was the commander of the Zhao Family Imperial Guards, Zhao Lie.

Zhao Lie was a core combat power of the Zhao Family. He had been in charge of the Zhao Family Imperial Guards for decades. His Cultivation Technique was profound, and his methods were ruthless. When the Murong Family was destroyed, he was the vanguard officer who personally killed several Elders of the Murong Family, earning the deep trust and esteem of the Zhao Family head, Zhao Chengyi.

Zhao Lie's exclusive weapon was the "soul-rending halberd," a High Grade Ghost Tool. The shaft was pitch black, and the tip of the blade glowed with an eerie purple light. The Cultivation Technique he practiced was the Zhao Family's secret "Black Fiend Art," which centered on devouring the essence and blood of living beings to condense Black Fiend Qi. Its power was domineering, but it was also very easy to suffer Qi Deviation.

He wore two life-saving Magic Treasures: the "Black Iron Heart-Protecting Mirror" (which could withstand a full-strength blow from anyone below the Middle Soul Transformation Stage and had blocked a fatal blow for him when the Murong Family was destroyed) and the "Black Fiend Bead" (which could instantly release a dense burst of Black Fiend Qi to trap enemies).

Zhao Lie had originally been on duty at the Zhao Family Imperial Guard Camp. Upon receiving an urgent report from his subordinates that the Third Young Master, Zhao Yue, was being humiliated at the Misty Rain Tower by an unknown youth, he immediately gathered over a hundred Zhao Family Imperial Guards and rushed over.

*Tap, tap, tap—*

The sound of footsteps grew closer. Over a hundred Zhao Family Imperial Guards marched into the Misty Rain Tower's hall in unison, instantly packing the entire space.