"Who dares to trespass in the Danqing Pavilion, you uncivilized ruffians!" As the dense crowd parted, four elder men with grim faces emerged.
"The Du family!" Ling Xuan frowned, looking at the four scowling elders. The Du family were pawns of the current Human Emperor Ying Zhong. They had pledged allegiance to Ying Zhong long before he became the Crown Prince.
The Ten Great Powers of the current Holy Yuan Dynasty were already figures of the past!
Only the Du family had reached an unprecedented peak in ten thousand years!
As the Du family spoke, all the martial artists in the square turned their gaze towards the direction of the Great Han. Among them were many Spirit Venerables and Heavenly Martial experts.
"Halt!"
"Who are you?"
Xu Chu stood at the forefront, his tiger-like eyes glaring ferociously as he scanned the four Du family elders.
"The Du family, under the command of the current Human Emperor!" One of the elders cupped his fists, showing respect to the Human Emperor, but his eyes held disdain for Xu Chu.
*Clang!*
Chen Qiu, who had been hiding in the crowd, was about to draw his sword but was stopped by Li Bai, who smiled and shook his head.
"The Du family!"
"What is this Du family worth!"
"How dare you disrespect this general? You court death!"
Xu Chu unleashed a powerful slash. Without a word, he engaged in a true fight, sending a vast ocean of fire surging towards them.
"Presumptuous!" The four elders were instantly enraged. The Du family were meritorious officials who had assisted the emperor, and they were now the overlords of local powers in the Holy Yuan Dynasty. Even their patriarch had entered the imperial court.
The four of them attacked simultaneously. In an instant, dark clouds gathered, as if creating a void!
With a thunderous roar, the five figures exploded outwards in opposite directions, layers of fiery light intermingling with the void, spreading in all directions.
A surge of blood energy filled the air!
"Hahaha!"
Xu Chu let out a sudden roar. He had held back against the Spirit Elder before, and all the pent-up rage from their journey had been building.
Xu Chu planted his foot, and the thick bluestone ground beneath him cracked. His eyes blazed with ferocity, and the Fire Cloud Blade in his hand was engulfed in raging Southern Bright Flame.
*Boom!*
The Fire Cloud Blade sliced through the air with lightning speed, one slash after another. Blade energy crisscrossed, and crimson flames spread across the sky.
Opposite Xu Chu, the four Du family elders’ faces contorted in ferocity. Each held their own weapon. One of them, towards Xu Chu, roared, "This is the Holy Yuan Dynasty! We will not tolerate your insolence!"
Although the Great Han had long been famous, few had actually met them or dealt with them. The Du family elder recognized that Xu Chu was not from the Holy Yuan Dynasty, but he couldn't discern his affiliation. However, his momentum could not be lost, and the Du family's dignity could not be trampled upon.
The four unleashed their aura, all of them being peak Spirit Venerable level five cultivators.
Since entering the Holy Yuan Dynasty, Xu Chu's cultivation had progressed over the past few days, reaching Spirit Venerable level seven.
"Blood Sea Fierce Tiger!"
Xu Chu grinned and let out a loud cry. The Fire Cloud Blade in his hand shifted its focus and descended upon one of the Du family elders.
Blade energy streaked across the sky, a blood-red river shimmering with faint crimson Southern Bright Flame, blindingly brilliant. The blade swung like a blood-red hungry tiger pouncing, a fatal blow, the blood-red river brimming with killing intent!
The sudden shift in the blade's trajectory made the targeted Du family elder's scalp tingle. The other three's eyes bulged. The blade's movement was incredibly erratic.
The Du family elder had no time to dodge and met the blade head-on. He let out a long roar, his face showing a hint of fear. The sickle in his hand, emitting a cold glint, swung forward.
No time to dodge!
In a desperate situation, only the brave would win!
Like a hungry tiger pouncing, blade energy crisscrossed!
The Du family elder, relying on his sickle, channeled all his Yuan power, which erupted suddenly, its cold glint astonishing, like streaks of white light.
"Fourth Brother!"
The other three shattered some illusory moves and desperately roared towards the direction of the Du family's fourth brother, who was shouting in rage.
The blood-red blade energy struck!
"Slash!"
The Du family elder also roared in fury. His emaciated body unleashed power unimaginable to ordinary people. The sickle in his hand slammed directly onto the blade energy.
*Boom!!*
*Bang bang bang!!*
The blood-red blade energy continued to press down!
The Du family elder unleashed slash after slash, fighting desperately, impacting the descending blood-red river. However, with each collision, his body was forced down dozens of feet.
The sickle swung continuously, tearing out brilliant sparks!
*Boom!*
The sickle struck again, and the blood-red river directly shattered. His instantly pale face relaxed, his entire body covered in sweat, and the sickle in his hand hummed.
"Hoo... hoo..."
He gasped for breath.
"Fourth Brother, be careful!"
The other three suddenly cried out in alarm. Their faces contorted in fury, and they rushed madly towards the Du family's fourth brother.
"What?"
The Du family's fourth brother, still gasping for air, instantly turned pale. From within the recently shattered blood-red river, a hundred-foot-long, blood-colored, multi-colored tiger surged forward.
Its front claws fiercely grabbed towards him!
*Boom!*
Several streams of blood-red blade energy shot out!
Each strike fierce, each strike deadly!
*Boom!*
The Du family's fourth brother instinctively raised his hand to block. With a rumbling sound, slash after slash, his sickle shattered.
*Screech!*
The moment the sickle broke, a blood-red long saber landed directly on his neck, a faint red light piercing through.
As the blade energy passed, another and another slash cut through his body!
"Fourth Brother!"
"Fourth Brother!"
The emotions of the other three instantly broke. The Du family's fourth brother's body exploded under the coverage of the blood-red blade energy, flesh and blood splattering everywhere!
"Hahaha!"
Xu Chu, holding the Fire Cloud Blade, watched this scene and grinned. His aura suddenly erupted, and with a flash of golden light, his cultivation broke through to a new realm.
Spirit Venerable level eight!
"Satisfying, so satisfying!"
Xu Chu stroked the Fire Cloud Blade, feeling the surging Yuan power.
"Avenge my fourth brother's life!"
The other three's eyes blazed with ferocity, tinged with streaks of red light. Their Yuan power exploded, holding nothing back.
*Boom!*
The three attacked instantly. Three Yuan powers of different colors intertwined, forcing everyone to lower their heads.
"Fight!"
Xu Chu stomped on the void with his feet, his body exploding forward, his eyes ferocious, like a tiger hunting in the mountains!
A saber strike descended!
*Boom!*
Blade energy crisscrossed, and in the blink of an eye, as if breaking through time, it descended directly above the three.
"Suppress them for this general!"
Xu Chu's eyes flashed with cold light, and he roared.
*Rumble rumble!!*
The long saber pressed down directly onto the three. They roared in defiance, simultaneously withstanding the fierce attack. Xu Chu, now at level eight, possessed terrifyingly powerful and forceful aura!
*Boom!*
A spray of blood mist exploded, and two figures were blasted outwards.