Chapter 123 The Sword's Edge Shocks the Old Capital; An Unruly Guest Arrives, Displaying Arrogance

The smell of blood instantly filled the inn's lobby. The corpses of the Shendao Department Cultivators lay on the ground, their blood staining the bluestone floor red. The surrounding diners were scared to the point of Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, scrambling to escape out the door. Only the innkeeper huddled behind the counter, trembling like chaff, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Seeing this, the Xuanyue Sect Cultivator's pupils shrank, and his body beneath the dark green Daoist robe tensed. He had not expected this seemingly ordinary woman to possess such formidable strength; the Late Qi Refining Stage Shendao Department Cultivator had not even lasted a single move against her.

However, relying on his Early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, the sinister look in his eyes deepened. Suddenly, a poison sac emitting black Evil Qi appeared in his hand. He shouted sternly: "Stinking girl, you dare to kill people from the Shendao Department. Do you know that this Great Liang capital is now the Regent's domain? If you know what's good for you, surrender immediately, or I will let you taste the flavor of the Mysterious Heaven Soul-Eroding Smoke!"

Su Qingyuan held her twin swords, the Green Fire Sword Intent swirling around the blades. Her phoenix eyes swept over the poison sac, and the chill in her eyes deepened: "You rats of the Xuanyue Sect dare to act so tyrannically on the land of Great Liang? Years ago, when the Xuanyue Sect attempted to infiltrate the Great Liang Sects, they were exterminated by my Imperial Father in league with the Righteous Path. I did not expect that today, you would actually collude with rebels and slaughter loyal subjects!"

As soon as she said this, Yang Huaner looked up abruptly, staring at Su Qingyuan in disbelief. With a trembling voice, she asked: "You... are you... Her Highness the Princess Royal?"

Su Qingyuan nodded slightly without saying more, but this admission instantly caused a massive stir in the inn. The few old soldiers who had been hiding in the corner immediately turned teary-eyed upon hearing the words "Princess Royal." They struggled, wanting to stand up and salute, but fearing to expose their whereabouts, they could only cover their mouths tightly, their eyes filled with excitement and grief.

The Xuanyue Sect Cultivator's expression changed completely. He had not expected to run into the former dynasty's Princess Royal of Great Liang. If he could capture her, he would surely achieve a great merit.

He grinned hideously and crushed the poison sac. Dark green poisonous smoke instantly gushed out, sweeping towards Su Qingyuan and Yang Huaner: "So it is a remnant of the former dynasty! Today, I shall clean house for the Regent!"

Wherever the poisonous smoke passed, tables and chairs were instantly corroded into a riddled mess, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.

Su Qingyuan remained calm. The Green Fire Sword Intent of her crimson flame skyfall sword surged, and a three-zhang-wide wall of fire rose from the ground, isolating all the poisonous smoke. Above the fire wall, sword shadows danced, actually burning the poisonous smoke into wisps of black smoke.

"An Early Foundation Establishment Stage poison Cultivator dares to show off in front of an expert." Before Su Qingyuan finished speaking, she raised both swords, and the Azure Fire Sword Gang condensed into a thin, long sword beam, piercing straight towards the Xuanyue Sect Cultivator's Dantian.

The Cultivator was terrified and hurriedly sacrificed a dark green shield to block it, but as soon as the shield touched the sword beam, it emitted a "hissing" sound and was instantly scorched with a large hole by the Sword Intent.

The sword beam, its momentum undiminished, pierced through his protective spiritual light and struck fiercely into his Dantian.

"Ah——" A shrill scream resounded through the inn. The Xuanyue Sect Cultivator clutched his Dantian and fell to the ground, his spiritual power dissipating; he was completely crippled.

Su Qingyuan looked at him coldly, flicked her sword tip to knock off the Storage Pouch at his waist, and casually tossed it to Yang Huaner: "The things of these poison Cultivators might come in handy."

Yang Huaner took the Storage Pouch, her eyes reddening, and she dropped to her knees with a thud: "Many thanks, Your Highness, for saving my life!"

Just as Su Qingyuan was about to help her up, two arrogant laughs suddenly came from outside the inn. Following that, two figures broke through the window and entered. When they landed, the beams of the lobby shook slightly.

The newcomers were one tall and one short. The tall one wore the gray robe of the Qingyun Sect's North Peak and carried Mo Renxing's token at his waist. His face was arrogant; he was Zhao Kuo, the most favored Disciple under Mo Renxing, a Middle Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator. The short one was Wu Tianli's Personal Disciple, Qian Bao, a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator. He wore a black tight-fitting outfit, his single eye narrowed, and Evil Qi swirled around him; clearly, he had cultivated an evil Cultivation Technique.

As soon as the two landed, their gazes swept over the two corpses on the ground. Zhao Kuo sneered, his tone full of disdain: "Where did this wild girl come from, daring to kill people arranged by my Revered Master in the Great Liang capital? You really don't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

Qian Bao's single eye landed on Su Qingyuan's crimson flame skyfall sword, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes, which then turned into contempt: "Just a remnant of the former dynasty, daring to act violently just by relying on some Sword Cultivator talent? Su Mingyu invited the two of us to garrison the capital precisely to clean up you remnants. If you know what's good for you, cripple your own cultivation and follow us to meet the Regent; perhaps we can leave you an intact corpse."

Both of them were Personal Disciples of Qingyun Sect Elders, their cultivation far exceeding that of ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators. Having received their Revered Masters' true teachings, they could walk sideways in the secular world and did not put this "former dynasty princess" Su Qingyuan in their eyes at all.

Su Qingyuan tightened her grip on her twin swords, the Green Fire Sword Intent becoming increasingly condensed. She knew that these two had much higher cultivation than her previous opponents, but behind her were the loyal subjects of Great Liang, and in front of her were the people of her former country; there was no reason to retreat. "The Qingyun Sect is a Sect of the Righteous Path. As Disciples of Elders, you collude with rebels and slaughter loyal subjects. Are you not afraid of severe punishment by the Sect's rules?"

Zhao Kuo laughed loudly as if he had heard a huge joke: "Sect rules? In this secular world, our words are the rules! Revered Master Mo has long said that the territory of Great Liang will belong to the North Peak in the future. Su Mingyu is just a Puppet, and you, a remnant of the former dynasty, are you even worthy of mentioning the Sect?"

Qian Bao acted directly. He lifted his hand abruptly, and a black wind of Evil Qi condensed, carrying a sharp sound that tore through the air, rushing straight at Su Qingyuan's face. This Evil Qi wind was the Mysterious Heaven Soul-Eroding Evil transmitted personally by Wu Tianli, capable of corroding spiritual power; even a Golden Core Cultivator would have to be three parts wary of it.

Su Qingyuan's eyes turned cold. Her Innate Sword Bone awakened completely, and the third broken sword in the jiaowei sword casket unsheathed automatically. With the three swords resonating, the Azure Fire Sword Domain unfolded instantly, enveloping her and Yang Huaner within it. The Evil Qi wind crashed into the Sword Domain, emitting a loud "bang." The Sword Domain only shook slightly before completely dissolving the Evil Qi wind.

"You have some tricks, but that's about it!" Seeing that Qian Bao's Evil Qi wind was blocked, Zhao Kuo held nothing back. A giant axe glowing with earthy yellow spiritual light appeared in his hand—it was the Earth-Splitting Axe, a Foundation Establishment Spirit Treasure bestowed by Mo Renxing. He gripped the axe with both hands and slashed down fiercely. The axe wind, carrying heavy earth-elemental spiritual power, actually pressed the Sword Domain down a bit.

Su Qingyuan advanced instead of retreating. She swung all three swords simultaneously, and the Azure Fire Sword Gang condensed into a huge sword blade, colliding fiercely with the Earth-Splitting Axe. With a crisp "clang," Zhao Kuo felt a majestic Sword Intent travel along the axe handle, shaking his tiger's mouth until it split open. The giant axe almost slipped from his hands, and he stumbled back three steps before barely stabilizing his figure.

Seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed Qian Bao's eyes, and he then pounced with a hideous grin. A short blade soaked in deadly poison appeared in his hand, aiming straight for Su Qingyuan's opening. His movement technique was uncanny, and the potent poison on the short blade was lethal upon contact; combined with the Mysterious Heaven Soul-Eroding Evil, it was impossible to defend against.

However, Su Qingyuan's Sword Domain had long since enveloped her entire body, and the Sword Intent of the three swords formed an airtight defense. As soon as the short blade touched the Sword Domain, it was scorched by the azure fire, and the deadly poison instantly dissipated. She seized the opportunity to thrust one sword out, the tip accurately striking Qian Bao's wrist. Qian Bao cried out in pain, the short blade flew from his hand, and just as he wanted to mobilize his spiritual power to counterattack, he was held at throat-point by Su Qingyuan's other sword.

"You..." Qian Bao's single eye widened round. He had not expected that with his Late Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, he would be so vulnerable under a woman's hand.

Seeing his Junior Brother restrained, Zhao Kuo roared and charged again with his axe. But Su Qingyuan twisted her wrist, the blade drawing a bloody mark on Qian Bao's neck, and she said coldly: "Take one more step forward, and his life will be gone!"

Zhao Kuo's movements stopped abruptly, his face turning alternately green and white. He knew that if Qian Bao died, he would have no way to answer to Wu Tianli, but in the current situation, he had no chance of winning at all.

Su Qingyuan had no intention of letting them go. She abruptly withdrew the sword holding Qian Bao's throat, the Green Fire Sword Intent exploding instantly. All three swords struck out simultaneously, piercing towards Qian Bao's Dantian, Zhao Kuo's giant axe, and the gap between the two, respectively.

Qian Bao was caught off guard, his Dantian pierced through by the Sword Gang, and his spiritual power dissipated instantly; Zhao Kuo's Earth-Splitting Axe was shredded by the Sword Gang, and he himself was blasted away by the aftermath, crashing heavily into a beam, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and fainting.