117: Chapter 117 Bloodshed at Lan Yue Tower

In the span of just a few breaths, his complexion underwent a transformation from life to death.

The rosy hue vanished completely, replaced by a ghastly pallor, which then turned into a lifeless, ashen gray; even his lips rapidly lost their color, taking on an ominous, dark cyan hue.

His entire being seemed to have been instantly drained of all life force by an invisible hand, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell.

With a crisp "clatter," the longsword that had once tasted the blood of countless opponents and glimmered with a cold, dark blue light slipped from his weakening fingers, crashing onto the polished blue brick floor.

The blade still trembled unwillingly, emitting a low hum as if letting out a final mournful cry for its master.

However, the wretched state of his body was not even one ten-thousandth of the excruciating pain within.

He could clearly and cruelly sense that his Golden Core—which he had spent forty-three years of painstaking effort to forge, polishing it countless times on the edge of life and death—was shattering inch by inch from its very core under the impact of that strange, potent Qi.

That Golden Core, which had once allowed him to run rampant and view his peers as ants, was now as fragile as a piece of glazed glass struck by a heavy hammer.

Spiderweb-like cracks, centered on his Dantian, spread wildly in all directions.

Each new crack that opened was accompanied by the excruciating pain of his Soul being forcibly torn apart, causing his muscles to spasm uncontrollably, while cold sweat poured out like a waterfall, instantly soaking his inner and outer garments.

The violent spiritual power, having lost the restraint of the Golden Core, rampaged wildly within his shattered Dantian, then flowed out along those shocking cracks like floodwaters bursting a dam, rushing to escape.

In the blink of an eye, the Golden Core Stage cultivation he had painstakingly cultivated for decades and taken such pride in vanished without a trace, like snow under the sun, leaving not even a wisp of usable spiritual power behind; only an empty, aching void and a chaotic ruin remained in his Dantian.

"My cultivation... My... cultivation..."

The Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei's lips trembled as he muttered in a voice as hoarse as an old, broken bellows.

He pressed his hands tightly against his lower abdomen with all his might, as if trying to push the flowing power back in, his knuckles protruding and turning white from the excessive force.

Turbid tears mixed with cold sweat, uncontrollably rolling down his distorted cheeks and dripping onto his luxurious lapels, blooming into dark, despairing stains.

He jerked his head up, his bloodshot eyes, as if tempered with the most venomous curses, locking onto the black-robed figure on the main seat.

All fear seemed to be swallowed by monstrous hatred at this moment, and he squeezed a beast-like roar from the depths of his throat:

"Bastard! You damn bastard!! My father is Minister of War Leng Jiangchan! He is a first-rank official of this dynasty, holding command over the one hundred thousand Imperial Guards! He will definitely tear you into ten thousand pieces! Grind your bones into dust! And ensure you never reincarnate for all eternity——!!"

"Noisy."

Xuanyuan Zhanxian's cold snort was not loud, but it was like a piece of ten-thousand-year-old black ice suddenly dropped into a boiling cauldron of oil, carrying a chill that froze everything and instantly suppressed the Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei's frantic roaring and cursing.

In the next instant, everyone felt a blur before their eyes.

That black-robed figure had appeared out of thin air, like a ghost, before the Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei, who was slumped on the ground.

He did not even glance at the person at his feet, merely lifting his right foot casually, a motion so understated it seemed as if he were just brushing a speck of dust off his boot.

However, when that foot descended, it carried a terrifying, mountain-like, irresistible force, slamming fiercely into the chest of the Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei!

"Bang——!!"

A dull, heavy thud, like striking rotten leather!

The Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei was sent flying like a discarded, tattered doll, lifting off the ground without any power to resist, his body curled up as he flew backward at an astonishing speed, crashing straight into the exquisite carved wooden door of the private room!

"Boom!!"

The heavy solid wood door panel shattered instantly upon contact with his body as if it were made of paper!

Wood shavings and carved fragments shot out in all directions like an explosion!

Amidst the flying wood debris, the figure of the Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei passed through the hole, flying out of Lanyue Tower and tracing a wretched, desolate arc in the night sky, like a paper kite with its wings completely torn off by a gale, falling rapidly and helplessly toward the ground.

"Crack——!!"

An even heavier, more heart-stopping sound of impact exploded on the bluestone path outside the building!

The entire ground seemed to tremble slightly with it.

Dust was violently stirred up, swirling and rising before slowly settling like funeral ash, covering the body that lay limp as mud.

The Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei lay face down on the ground, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, rapidly spreading across the polished stone slabs beneath him, snaking along the tiny crevices of the stone and outlining a constantly expanding, shocking dark red pattern on the ground.

He used his last shred of strength to struggle, lifting his head ever so slightly and slowly, his vision blurring as he looked toward the broken window of Lanyue Tower, at that faint, black-robed figure.

The resentment in his eyes was like tangible venom, almost spilling out, but more than that, it was a despair that penetrated deep into his marrow and froze his Soul.

He wanted to crawl up, wanted to unleash the most venomous curses, but his bones felt shattered, his Meridians completely severed, and his Dantian destroyed; he didn't even have the strength to move a pinky finger, only able to lie there like a heap of mud, watching that figure who looked like a demon god.

That figure, in his gradually dilating pupils, seemed to transform into a Yama ruling over life and death, making it impossible for him to muster even a shred of resistance or hatred, leaving only boundless cold and darkness.

Inside the building, there was a deathly, suffocating silence.

Even the occasional "crackle" of the burning candle flame seemed exceptionally clear and harsh at this moment, like the lingering echo of a funeral bell, striking everyone's heart one by one, making their Divine Soul tremble.

"Minister of War... Minister of War Leng Jiangchan..."

These seven words were like seven red-hot branding irons, searing into the hearts of everyone present, instantly stirring up monstrous waves!

In the Great Wu Dynasty, who did not know the reputation of Minister of War Leng Jiangchan?

He was a fierce general who had truly crawled out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, holding the power of life and death over the one hundred thousand Imperial Guards; the blood rust and Evil Qi stained on his armor were heavier and more terrifying than the official seal in the imperial court.

If he stamped his foot, the entire Imperial Capital would shake three times.

The Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei's arrogance and domineering behavior, treating the law as nothing, relied precisely on his father, the Minister of War, who was protective to the point of insanity!

Not to mention his son being seriously injured; even if the Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei lost a single hair while out, Minister of War Leng Jiangchan would dare to lead troops to trample the offender's entire family! This was an ironclad rule known to everyone in the Imperial City.

But what about now?

The Heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei was not only seriously injured in public but was also decisively... stripped of his lifelong cultivation!

This was far from a simple "lesson" or "conflict"; this was, in full view of everyone, tearing off the fearsome face of Minister of War Leng Jiangchan, throwing it on the ground, and grinding it fiercely into the mud with his foot!

Princess Xia Zhiqing felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest, striking her ribs until they ached, and even her fingertips were trembling uncontrollably, oozing cold sweat.

She had long known that Senior Brother Xuanyuan Zhanxian acted decisively and did not fear powerful authorities, but she had never imagined he would be so resolute and ruthless to such an extent! What kind of person was Minister of War Leng Jiangchan?

He was a military warlord who sought revenge for the slightest grievance and possessed extremely ruthless methods!

Now that his only son was crippled, it was equivalent to cutting off the future and hope of his Leng family; the ensuing retaliation would surely be thunderous, bloodily cruel beyond imagination!

Perhaps in the next moment, cold iron armor would surround Lanyue Tower!

She subconsciously looked toward Xuanyuan Zhanxian, only to see him still sitting upright in the main seat, his expression calm to the point of indifference.

It was as if the earth-shattering kick just now hadn't crippled the son of the Minister of War who held power over the imperial court, but merely a buzzing mosquito that had accidentally flown in front of him.

Huang Tianjiao's hand, holding that celadon teacup, froze in mid-air.

The smooth, warm porcelain surface transmitted a delicate sensation through her fingertips, but it could not calm the tumultuous, surging waves in her heart in the slightest.

Her beautiful brows knitted tightly, and her stunning eyes were filled with immense confusion and bewilderment.

She had originally thought that all of Xuanyuan Zhanxian's actions today were intended to establish authority, to deter the forces inside and outside the Imperial City that were eyeing the throne, and to announce his return.

But now it seemed she was terribly wrong! How could this person be "establishing authority"?

This was clearly unbridled "destruction"!

It was treating the intertwined network of forces in the Great Wu Dynasty as nothing!

It was acting recklessly, trampling all rules and consequences underfoot!

Where on earth did this near-insane confidence come from?

Was it because there stood behind him a behemoth that even the Great Wu Imperial Family had to look up to?

Or did he himself possess the... absolute strength to overturn this chessboard and ignore all the chess players?

Just as everyone's thoughts were racing, and the atmosphere was so oppressive and heavy that it felt like it would explode at any moment——

"Who dares to touch my son——!!!"

A roar, furious to the extreme and like a wounded, crazed tiger, suddenly exploded from outside Lanyue Tower!

The rage and Killing Intent contained in this voice were like thunder from the Nine Heavens rolling across the firmament, shaking the carved window lattices of the entire Lanyue Tower until they "hummed" violently, causing dust on the beams and pillars to fall in showers!

Immediately after, a majestic, vicious, and terrifying Aura filled with the atmosphere of blood-soaked battlefields swept in like a tsunami!

This Aura was as sharp as thousands of blades unsheathed simultaneously, carrying the tragic, murderous air tempered in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, pressing down fiercely on everyone in the private room!

Many Prodigies of the Golden Core Stage in the private room, under the pressure of this Aura purely built up from slaughter, instantly turned pale, felt a tightness in their chests and the urge to vomit, their Qi and blood churning uncontrollably. They subconsciously retreated again and again, not even daring to raise their heads to look directly at the source of that Aura.

Everyone looked over in horror, only to see a tall, burly figure clad in heavy armor, carrying boundless rage, striding in like a Vicious Beast from the wilderness!

The mysterious iron armor on the person was incredibly thick, with intricate cloud-thunder battle patterns engraved on the armor plates. The edges were stained with dark red, old bloodstains and patches of rust, clearly having rushed over in a hurry from a military training ground or even a more urgent location, not even having time to remove the armor.

His figure was as straight as a spear, his face as firm as if carved by an axe or chisel, but at this moment, his tiger-like eyes were blood-red, spewing rage and Killing Intent that seemed to burn everything——he was the Minister of War Leng Jiangchan, who held power over the imperial court!

Behind him, dozens of personal guards, also dressed in iron armor with fierce and cold Auras, filed in. Their armor plates collided, emitting a uniform and cold "clanging" sound, and each step they took made the ground tremble slightly. These guards had eyes as sharp as eagles and solidified Evil Qi; they were clearly elite death warriors who had survived hundreds of battles.

Minister of War Leng Jiangchan's gaze was like a bone-scraping steel blade, instantly sweeping across the entire private room.

The longsword on the ground that belonged to his son, now dim and lusterless, along with the shocking pool of blood and the limp human form on the bluestone ground outside the building, were like the most scorching poisonous flames, suddenly burning through his last shred of sanity.

"Who is it——!!!"

He turned his head abruptly, his blood-red eyes staring fixedly at the people in the private room. His voice was hoarse and distorted due to extreme rage, like grinding sand and stone, accompanied by a bone-chilling grinding sound:

"Who on earth did this! To dare to commit such a vicious act against my son within the Imperial City, at the feet of the Son of Heaven!!!"

The Aura around his body erupted, his Void Refining Middle Stage cultivation revealed without reservation. Mixed with the tangible Killing Intent tempered in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the temperature of the entire private room plummeted, the air became stagnant like iron, and even the light of the night-luminescent pearls embedded on the walls seemed to dim and flicker, as if they would be extinguished at any moment by this terrifying Killing Intent.

"Today, I will definitely skin him alive! Strip his bones and boil him for oil! Let him taste the most painful torture in the world, unable to seek life, unable to seek death——!!"

Second Prince Wu Yuanchen had originally quietly retreated to the doorway, but upon seeing this, his footsteps halted, and the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curled up into a subtle, gratified arc.

A flash of excitement glinted in his eyes——it was here! This enraged lion, Minister of War Leng Jiangchan, had arrived at the perfect time!

With this Void Refining Middle Stage Minister of War who held heavy troops and was on the verge of madness taking action, let's see how Xuanyuan Zhanxian can still be arrogant!

He wanted to see with his own eyes how his "good imperial brother" would be burned to ashes under this monstrous rage today!

However, facing Minister of War Leng Jiangchan's violent Killing Intent and questioning that was enough to stop a child from crying, Xuanyuan Zhanxian merely raised his eyelids extremely slowly.

His gaze calmly swept past Minister of War Leng Jiangchan, who was like an angry demon god, and his tone was indifferent without a ripple, as if he were just ordering a trivial matter:

"Commander Yingsha."

"Here."

Commander Yingsha, who had been standing silently behind Xuanyuan Zhanxian like a shadow, stepped forward in response.

The moment his foot fell——

A majestic Aura, even more vast, heavier, and more profound and terrifying than that of Minister of War Leng Jiangchan, suddenly released like an ancient giant god awakening from its slumber!

If Minister of War Leng Jiangchan's Aura was an unsheathed, blood-stained peerless vicious blade, sharp and unmatched, wanting to slash and shatter everything.

Then the Aura released by Commander Yingsha at this moment was an ancient mountain connecting heaven and earth, heavy, majestic, and carrying the absolute majesty to suppress everything. Like an invisible, billion-jun divine mountain, it pressed down fiercely and without any fancy tricks, with the most arrogant posture, toward Minister of War Leng Jiangchan and the terrifying Killing Intent he brought!

Void Refining Late Stage! And it was a Void Refining Late Stage with an incredibly solid Foundation and an Aura as deep as an abyss!

"Pfft——!"

Minister of War Leng Jiangchan let out a muffled groan, the color instantly draining from his face!

He only felt an irresistible giant force strike his chest. That power was not only majestic but also carried a suppression from a higher Realm, causing his gathered Killing Intent and Aura to melt rapidly like a snowman under the sun!

He was actually forced back three steps by this Aura, "thud, thud, thud"!

With each step, the hard bluestone bricks under his feet cracked with a "crack" sound, leaving three clear, spiderweb-covered footprints!

He looked up abruptly, staring fixedly at the face of Commander Yingsha covered under the hideous ghost mask, his eyes filled with unbelievable horror and shock, roaring uncontrollably:

"Void Refining Late Stage?!!!"

The dozens of battle-hardened personal guards he brought, in front of this absolute pressure of the Void Refining Late Stage, were like straw in a gale, without even a shred of power to resist. They fell to their knees one after another with "thuds," their faces pale as paper, blue veins bulging on their foreheads. Using all their strength, they could not lift their heads, only gasping with difficulty, as if their internal organs would be crushed by this pressure in the next moment!

"Minister of War Leng Jiangchan."

Commander Yingsha's voice sounded, cold, smooth, without any emotional fluctuations, but it froze the Soul more than ten-thousand-year cold ice. His gaze, through the ghost mask, was like two tangible ice cones, nailed onto Minister of War Leng Jiangchan:

"His Highness the First Prince has his own sense of propriety in his actions; it is not your place to interfere."

He paused, each word like a heavy hammer striking Minister of War Leng Jiangchan's heart:

"If you dare to be presumptuous again, do not blame me for being merciless——"

"Today, it was your son who was crippled. Next time,"

The cold voice paused slightly, but the words spoken made everyone present, including the enraged Minister of War Leng Jiangchan, feel a chill rush from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads,

"It might be your entire... Leng family."

Minister of War Leng Jiangchan clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles making "clacking" sounds due to excessive force, his fingernails deeply embedded in his palms. Warm blood trickled down through his fingers, dripping onto the shattered bluestone bricks, but he was completely unaware.

His blood-red eyes, like a dying beast, stared fixedly at Xuanyuan Zhanxian, who remained calm and waveless on the main seat, his chest heaving violently due to intense rage and grievance.

The Killing Intent in this gaze almost solidified, wishing he could swallow the other party alive.

However, when the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of his son's body on the bluestone ground outside the building, limp like mud and uncertain of life or death, a deeper, colder fear coiled around his heart like a poisonous snake.

Void Refining Late Stage!

That was an existence he currently absolutely could not contend with!

If he dared to take another step forward now, let alone avenge his son, he feared that he himself, along with the personal guards he brought, would all bleed on the spot and be buried here today!

To advance is a dead end; to retreat is to lose all face, and the hatred for the loss of his son is irreconcilable!

He froze in place, his teeth grinding with a "creaking" sound, blue veins bulging on his forehead and neck like wriggling earthworms. His expression changed crazily between extreme rage, unwillingness, humiliation, and fear. In the end, it could only turn into a low growl like a wounded beast, suppressed to the extreme, forcing that monstrous Killing Intent and rage back deep into his throat.

He dared not move.

The silence in the private room reached its peak at this moment.

This was a silence more oppressive than death. The air was permeated with the lingering scent of blood, cold Killing Intent, and the heavy, Soul-trembling weight brought by the Void Refining Late Stage pressure.

Everyone's breathing was made as light and slow as possible, fearing that the slightest extra sound would break this fragile balance and bring about a catastrophe.