Chapter 287: Blood Stains the Imperial City

Chapter 287: Blood Stains the Imperial City

To everyone’s surprise, the one who truly couldn’t be provoked was the man wearing the golden mask.

All eyes fell on the seven bloody characters imprinted on Luo Mufeng’s chest, sending shockwaves through the crowd as they staggered back in horror.

When they looked again at the golden-masked man, a chill ran down their spines, their faces paling as if they had seen a demon.

“Rumors say Young Master Chuan of the Ghost Manor ranks seventeenth on the Evil and Demon Ranking List. He dares to challenge the Crown Prince and oppose the Kirin Prince’s Manor—a true titan of the demonic path!”

“Luo Mufeng is truly unlucky today, running into Young Master Chuan of all people.”

“How dare Young Master Chuan appear openly in the Imperial City? Isn’t he afraid the Crown Prince will come after him?”

“Hah! A powerhouse like Young Master Chuan wouldn’t fear the Crown Prince even if faced with a thousand troops and ten thousand horses. How could mere soldiers stop him?”

The Jade Viewing Tower was about to become a scene of carnage. Martial Artists of weaker cultivation fled in panic, not daring to linger. Only the truly powerful remained, eager to see how events would unfold.

A Prince swaggered into the Jade Viewing Tower and, seeing the crowd gathered above, asked curiously, “What are you all looking at? Who’s up there?”

“The Manor Lord of the Ghost Manor,” a middle-aged man replied with a cold smirk.

The Prince’s legs immediately gave way, nearly collapsing to the ground if not for his servants catching him.

“Quick… take me back to the Marquis House!” The Prince had heard of Young Master Chuan’s fearsome reputation—a supreme figure of the demonic path.

A small fry like him had best leave immediately.

The appearance of a demonic titan would surely bring a storm of blood and wind, possibly even staining the Imperial City red.

Inside the side room, Ning Heng and the Young Noble were stunned. Young Master Chuan’s martial prowess was terrifying—he had casually sent a military general like Luo Mufeng flying with a single strike, leaving him severely injured.

“Young… Young Master Chuan! You… you’ve offended the Cloud Marquis House! You won’t escape unscathed!”

Luo Mufeng, bloodied and battered, struggled to his feet, circulating his Martial Arts Profound Qi to heal his wounds.

Ning Xiaochuan lifted a wine jug, filling his cup to the brim. “I welcome the Cloud Marquis House to come kill me anytime.”

“Such audacity! Today, the Cloud Marquis House will rid the world of this scourge!”

A deep, resonant voice boomed through the night as a Martial Artist arrived.

Boom!

Hearing the voice, Luo Mufeng’s face lit up with relief. His body crashed through the wooden wall, tumbling to the ground.

Rumble— A troop of Mystic Beast cavalry galloped over, halting outside the Jade Viewing Tower.

Four of the Twelve Tiger Generals of the Cloud Marquis had arrived, clad in thick Mystic Artifact armor, their bodies radiating dark battle qi as four War Souls materialized.

Particularly striking was Lou Guyu, ranked first among the Twelve Tiger Generals. His War Soul manifested as the illusion of a thousand troops and ten thousand horses hovering above him, the sounds of battlefield slaughter echoing ominously, striking fear into all who heard it.

Both “War Souls” and “Martial Souls” were formed from a warrior’s essence, energy, and spirit, yet they differed fundamentally.

When a Martial Artist reached the Earthly Venerable Realm, their essence, energy, and spirit would undergo a transformation, condensing into a “Martial Soul.”

However, a “War Soul” was something entirely different.

Only those who have fought and slain opponents on the battlefield for years, accumulating their own imposing aura, can condense a War Soul when their battle intent reaches a certain level, even if their cultivation hasn't stepped into the Earthly Venerable Realm.

Aside from the four Tiger Generals, Ji Hanxing also arrived riding a Dragon Elephant. Her sapphire-blue hair fluttered in the wind, her phoenix eyes shining as brightly as cold stars. In her slender, delicate hand, she held a Dragon Elephant Halberd Spear, radiating an intense battle intent.

She was originally Yue Wuyang's disciple and had come with the Twelve Tiger Generals of Cloud Marquis to capture Young Master Chuan.

"Big Brother, you’ve finally arrived! Young Master Chuan has gone too far, completely disregarding the Cloud Marquis House. We must teach him a painful lesson!"

Luo Mufeng limped forward, covered in blood, with the words "Young Master Chuan of Ghost Manor" carved into his chest in a blood-written message that even Profound Qi couldn’t erase.

Among the Twelve Tiger Generals of Cloud Marquis, rankings were based on martial prowess. Luo Mufeng was only ranked ninth.

Lou Guyu, ranked first among the Twelve Tiger Generals, was fifty-four years old, with deep-set eyes, profound cultivation, and exceptional experience. He commanded, "Someone, take Ninth Brother away for treatment."

Two soldiers stepped forward from the military ranks and helped Luo Mufeng away.

Lou Guyu’s gaze fixed on the Jade Viewing Tower, his eyes narrowing. "Young Master Chuan, your reputation precedes you like thunder. May I ask how my ninth brother offended you?"

Ning Xiaochuan stepped out of the Side Room, standing on the third-floor terrace of the Jade Viewing Tower, looking down at the assembled forces below. His eyes swept past Ji Hanxing as he chuckled, "He disturbed my drinking. And yet, I didn’t even kill him. Doesn’t that count as giving face to the Cloud Marquis House?"

"Arrogant fool! Who do you think you are? Daring to harm a military general—do you intend to commit treason?" A relatively younger man beside Lou Guyu growled.

His name was Huo Hai, ranked fifth among the Twelve Tiger Generals, with cultivation at the Seventh Level of the Transcendent Realm.

Huo Hai leaped from the back of his Mystic Beast, soaring over 20 meters into the air. With a swing of his Purple Iron Whip, a purple whip scar slashed through the air like a blade, aiming straight for Ning Xiaochuan’s neck.

The Purple Iron Whip was a Fourth-Grade Mystic Artifact, forged from the tendons of twelve Mystic Beasts, imbued with the power of each.

"Roar!"

"Howl!"

With a single whip strike, the phantom forms of twelve Mystic Beasts materialized, claws bared as they pounced toward Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan’s expression darkened. Without dodging, he flicked his wrist, sending out a wave of Annihilation Qi that transformed into a surge of Sword Qi.

"Crack!"

Sparks erupted from the Purple Iron Whip before the Sword Qi wave slashed through Huo Hai’s body, leaving a bright red mark on his forehead.

"Whoosh!"

In the next instant, Huo Hai’s body split in two, crashing to the ground.

In just a moment, a Seventh-Level Transcendent Realm Martial Artist had been slain.

Ning Xiaochuan said coldly, "Do you people of the Cloud Marquis House truly believe I don’t dare to kill? Get lost!"

Including Lou Guyu, the remaining three Tiger Generals of Cloud Marquis were furious, their eyes burning red with rage, battle intent surging from their bodies.

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

The three of them simultaneously unleashed Martial Arts Divine Abilities, blasting them toward Ning Xiaochuan.

Lou Guyu unleashed a vast sea of blazing flames, within which waves surged violently. A crimson skeleton rose from the flames, its claw descending as if to reduce the entire Jade Viewing Tower to ashes.

As the leader of the Twelve Tiger Generals of the Cloud Marquis and the strongest among them, Lou Guyu had reached the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm.

This already placed him among the pinnacle experts of the Martial Path. Unless a Martial Venerable appeared, no one could stand against him.

The three Tiger Generals of the Cloud Marquis were well-acquainted with each other, their coordination seamless. Among the three divine abilities they unleashed, Lou Guyu's "Blazing Bone God" took the lead, crashing down with overwhelming force.

Ning Xiaochuan sighed and said, "The Jade Viewing Tower is the finest pleasure spot in the Imperial City. I can't let you brutes destroy it in one fell swoop."

Seven streaks of blood-red light shot out from his heart, converging in his palm to form a scarlet Demonic Sword.

As the Demonic Sword emerged, a sinister crimson glow radiated from the Jade Viewing Tower, coalescing into a scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Strands of Sword Qi swirled around the Demonic Sword, forming a vortex that sent tremors through the Origin Qi of heaven and earth.

"Whoosh!"

With a single slash, the Demonic Sword's Sword Qi tore the colossal Blazing Bone God apart.

The scattered flames flew back, landing amidst the military forces of the Cloud Marquis House.

Chaos ensued as dozens of soldiers were reduced to ashes, while many others suffered severe burns, screaming in agony within the sea of fire.

Ning Xiaochuan swung his sword again, shattering the Martial Arts Divine Ability "World-shaking Seal" unleashed by one of the Tiger Generals. The Sword Qi cleaved through the general's body, severing an arm.

"Ah!"

The Tiger General clutched his bleeding stump, landing on the ground as he tried to circulate his Martial Arts Profound Qi to staunch the blood flow.

"Whoosh!"

Another streak of Sword Qi shot forth.

The head of this Tiger General, who had reached the Eighth Level of the Transcendent Realm, flew off, a fountain of blood gushing three feet high from his neck.

Another Tiger General had fallen.

Many onlookers trembled in fear, retreating far from the Jade Viewing Tower.

"As expected of a great demon of the unorthodox path. He's truly begun a massacre. Best to stay far away."

"Two Tiger Generals have already perished. The Cloud Marquis House has suffered heavy losses. They should never have provoked Young Master Chuan, this titan of the unorthodox path."

Lou Guyu said solemnly, "Fourth Brother, retreat for now. Let me face the Manor Lord."

The deaths of two Tiger Generals sobered Lou Guyu, who immediately ordered Liao Cheng, the fourth-ranked Tiger General, to withdraw to avoid falling to Young Master Chuan's blade.

Lou Guyu, at the Ninth Level of the Transcendent Realm, was confident he could escape even in the presence of a Martial Venerable.

"Young Master Chuan, let us battle in the skies!"

Lou Guyu mounted a sixth-rank mystic beast, the Three-headed Flood Dragon, and soared into the heavens.

He intended to leverage his mount's advantage to engage Ning Xiaochuan, ideally stalling him until the Marquis returned to the city, whereupon the Marquis himself could deal with him.

However, Ning Xiaochuan had no intention of fighting Lou Guyu in the sky. With a swing of his Demonic Sword, he struck downward at Liao Cheng.

Liao Cheng was startled, never expecting Ning Xiaochuan to target him instead of engaging Lou Guyu.

Despite being at the peak of the Seventh Level of the Transcendent Realm, he barely managed to dodge the Demonic Sword by twisting his body sideways. Yet, the Sword Qi still grazed him, carving a bloody gash in his leg and slicing off half of his thigh.

"Young Master Chuan, do you still have the demeanor of a master or not? Clearly, it was I who challenged you, so why did you ambush my fourth brother?" Lou Guyu trembled with rage as he stood atop the Three-headed Flood Dragon's back, gripping a spear and pointing it at Ning Xiaochuan below.

"Ambush? Would this young master need to ambush anyone? I kill openly and honorably." Ning Xiaochuan held the Demonic Sword and leaped down from the Jade Viewing Tower, thrusting the blade straight toward Liao Cheng.

When it came to those from the Cloud Marquis House, Ning Xiaochuan had always adhered to a policy of no mercy.

Just as the Demonic Sword was about to pierce Liao Cheng's heart—eliminating yet another fierce general of the Cloud Marquis House— Suddenly, a Dragon Elephant Halberd Spear thrust out from Ji Hanxing's hand, striking the body of the Demonic Sword with a resounding force.

Clang!

The blade of the Demonic Sword trembled violently, emitting a sharp, ear-piercing screech.