173: Chapter 173: Emerging from seclusion, heading straight for the Holy Emperor City, the first battle annihilates the Sky Patrol Guards.

After half a year of secluded cultivation, he emerged in a single day.

Ye Qing's figure was like lightning, cutting through the vast sky, flying directly towards the center of power of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court—Heavenly Demon Holy City.

Regarding Heavenly Demon Holy City, he had already learned quite a bit of information from various ancient texts and rumors while in Black Wind City and Tianya City. It was said that the Holy City was not built on the ground, but rather, an ancient Heavenly Demon Emperor had used a great Divine Ability to refine an entire giant Spiritual Vein, lifting it above the Nine Heavens. It floated in the sea of clouds all year round, absorbing the power of the stars, looking just like a fairyland.

Within the Holy City, not only did the royal family of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court and many ancient Yao kings reside, but it also enshrined the Legacy and relics of past Heavenly Demon Emperors, making it the spiritual symbol and power center of the entire Yao Race. The strictness of its defenses could be imagined.

Ye Qing did not conceal his tracks. He knew that after he had consecutively broken through Xifeng Pass, Blood Tooth Fort, Lietian City, and Wanyao Ridge, the upper echelons of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court must have already regarded him as a thorn in their side, wishing to eliminate him as soon as possible. Instead of sneaking around, it was better to be open and upright, pushing through all the way, turning everything upside down, and completely disintegrating the Yao Race's will to resist.

After flying for about three days, he had already penetrated tens of thousands of miles into the hinterland of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court. Everything he saw along the way were Yao Race tribes and cities. However, those Yao Race members, upon sensing the unmasked pressure of the Spirit Severing Realm on him, were all struck dumb with fear, fleeing one after another, not daring to obstruct him at all.

On this day, he arrived before a vast, boundless sea of clouds.

The sea of clouds surged, as white as cotton wool, with no end in sight. Deep within the sea of clouds, the outline of an incomparably huge city, entirely forged from some kind of golden Divine Stone, could be vaguely seen, appearing and disappearing in the mist, emitting an ancient and majestic aura.

Thick, golden beams of light, like chains, hung down from the city, plunging into the depths of the sea of clouds, as if absorbing some kind of power.

"Heavenly Demon Holy City... finally arrived."

Ye Qing stopped his escape light and hovered at the edge of the sea of clouds, his gaze calmly looking towards the golden giant city floating above the Nine Heavens.

He could clearly sense that hidden within the Holy City were several extremely powerful and extremely obscure auras. Each one was not weaker than the Golden-Horned Rhinoceros King he had previously killed, and some were even much stronger than him!

"As expected of the Yao Race's lair; it truly hides dragons and crouching tigers."

Ye Qing thought to himself, but his face showed no fear.

He took a deep breath, and then, facing the golden giant city floating in the sea of clouds, he spoke loudly: "Loose Cultivator Ye Qing has come to pay a visit! I ask the Master of the Holy City to come out and meet me!"

His voice was not particularly loud, yet it seemed to contain a strange penetrating power, instantly piercing through layers of clouds and spatial barriers, clearly entering the golden giant city!

The next moment, the silent golden giant city, as if a pebble had been thrown into a calm lake, instantly boiled over!

Countless strands of tyrannical Demonic Qi soared into the sky!

Angry, suspicious, and murderous Divine Sense, like a tide, swept out from the city, locking onto Ye Qing at the edge of the sea of clouds!

"Audacious madman! How dare you call the Holy City by its name!"

"Seeking death! A mere Human Race Soul Transformation Cultivator dares to come to my Heavenly Demon Holy City and run wild!"

"Set up the formation! Take him down!"

Angry shouts rang out from the city.

Immediately after, the Holy City's huge golden gates swung open with a bang!

Squads of Yao Race elite guards, wearing golden armor, holding long spears, and riding various exotic beasts, surged out from the city gates like a tide, arranging themselves into neat military formations in front of the gates, emitting sky-piercing Killing Intent!

These guards had a cultivation base of at least the Golden Core Stage; among them were many Yao generals at the Nascent Soul Stage, and there were even several Yao kings at the Soul Transformation Stage sitting in command!

They were none other than the Heavenly Demon Holy City's most elite protective force—the Patrol Guards!

A middle-aged man wearing a golden cloak, a purple-gold crown, and with a majestic face appeared on the city gate tower, surrounded by several Soul Transformation Yao kings.

His gaze was like lightning, overlooking Ye Qing at the edge of the sea of clouds. His voice, like muffled thunder, came rolling over: "Human! Are you that Ye Qing? The one who has consecutively broken through several important towns of my Heavenly Demon Imperial Court and killed several of my Yao kings is you?"

"Precisely." Ye Qing nodded, his tone flat. "Today, I have specifically come to borrow your honorable race's Holy City for a while."

"Arrogant!" Cold light flashed in the golden-crowned man's eyes. "I am the commander of the Heavenly Demon Holy City's Patrol Guards, Golden Feather Eagle King! Today, I will let you, an ignorant Human brat, witness the true strength of my Heavenly Demon Holy City!"

Before his voice had even faded, he waved his hand violently!

"Patrol Guards! Attack!"

"Kill!!!"

In front of the city gates, those thousands of Patrol Guards shouted in unison, their voices shaking the clouds!

They formed a huge, profound military formation. Countless strands of Demonic Qi soared into the sky, intertwining and converging in the air to form a huge phantom of a Golden-Winged Great Peng, seemingly condensed from golden light!

The Golden-Winged Great Peng phantom spread its wings, covering the sky and blocking the sun, emitting a sharp, piercing shriek. With a terrifying momentum that seemed capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart, it swooped down towards Ye Qing!

This strike was the supreme blow, having gathered the power of ten thousand elite Patrol Guards and guided by several Soul Transformation Yao kings! Its power was infinitely close to the full-force strike of a Late Stage Soul Transformation powerhouse!

Ye Qing stood before the huge Golden-Winged Great Peng phantom, as small as an ant.

But his eyes remained as calm as water.

He slowly raised his right hand, and the hunyuan ruler appeared in his hand out of thin air.

On the ruler's body, dark silver light flowed, emitting a profound and vast aura.

Then, he simply swung the ruler horizontally at the swooping Golden-Winged Great Peng phantom!

A dark silver ruler beam, condensed to the extreme, as if capable of severing the galaxy and destroying all laws, shot out from the ruler. It instantly expanded to ten thousand feet in length, like a silver celestial river, spanning between heaven and earth!

The golden Golden-Winged Great Peng phantom and the vast silver ruler beam collided with a bang under the gaze of countless eyes!

There was no earth-shattering loud noise.

There was no violent, raging energy turbulence.

There was only a slight sound, as if cloth were being torn.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng phantom, which had condensed the power of ten thousand elite Patrol Guards and was enough to destroy the heavens and the earth, was smoothly split in two like paper the moment it touched the silver ruler beam!

Immediately after, the silver ruler beam's remaining momentum did not fade; like the Nine Heavens celestial river pouring down, it slashed fiercely towards the dense Patrol Guard military formation in front of the city gates!

"Not good! Retreat quickly!!"

Golden Feather Eagle King's expression changed drastically, and he let out a shriek of extreme terror!

But it was already too late.

The silver ruler beam was too fast!

It was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, gently sweeping across the golden military formation.

There were no screams, no wails.

There was only dead silence.

Then, in the eyes of everyone filled with extreme terror, the ten thousand elite Patrol Guards who were neatly arranged in the military formation, along with the mounts beneath them, all shuddered, and then, like dominoes being pushed over, they were all neatly cut into two halves!

Blood, like a fountain, soared into the sky!

Severed limbs and broken arms fell like raindrops!

With just one strike!

Ten thousand of Heavenly Demon Holy City's most elite Patrol Guards, including those several Early Stage Soul Transformation Yao kings, were all slaughtered!

None were spared!

The entire Heavenly Demon Holy City fell into dead silence!

Those Yao Race powerhouses who had originally been furious and clamoring to take down Ye Qing were now all like ducks with their necks pinched, their mouths wide open, unable to make any sound!

Their eyes were filled with unbelievable fear and shock!

This... how is this possible?!

That was ten thousand elite Patrol Guards! And there were several Soul Transformation Yao kings sitting in command! They were actually... actually wiped out by the opponent in one strike?!

Just how terrifying is the strength of this Human Race Cultivator named Ye Qing?!

Golden Feather Eagle King stood on the city gate tower, looking at the corpses and blood covering the ground; his face was pale, and his body was trembling slightly!

The look he gave Ye Qing was filled with boundless fear!

He knew he was wrong!

And, wrong in a very outrageous way!

This Human Race Cultivator's strength was simply not something he could imagine!

"Who else?"

Ye Qing held the hunyuan ruler, standing proudly above the sea of clouds, his gaze calmly sweeping over the silent golden giant city. His tone was flat, yet it carried an unquestionable domineering air!

"If no one answers, then I will come in myself."