Chapter 343: The Empress's Killing Intent

Chapter 343: The Empress's Killing Intent

Above the rebuilt walls of the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty.

Two generals guarding the city, clad in armor formed from Nether Qi, witnessed a streak of light approaching at high speed and immediately roared, "Stop right there!"

Seeing that the streak of light showed no signs of stopping, the two generals brandished their long spears and hurled them simultaneously.

Boom—

The Nether Qi transformed into a massive pillar that pierced the clouds, rushing straight toward the streak of light, resulting in a violent explosion.

The shockwave plowed through the surrounding miles, stripping the soil layer by layer.

"You have a death wish!"

"Daring to trespass on the territory of the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty, you deserve to die!"

The two generals snorted coldly with expressions of fury, raising their hands to recall their spears.

However, their weapons, which usually obeyed them like extensions of their own arms, did not fly back this time.

Instead, as the light faded, Qin Xuan stood in the air, completely unscathed, his brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the guards on the wall.

Seeing this, Zhou Chen hurriedly roared at the guards, "You two have a lot of nerve! I am the Ming King, and the person you attacked is none other than Master Qin. How dare you show such disrespect to Master Qin?"

The two generals and the city guards rose into the sky together.

Outside the Imperial City, they formed a wall of people like a natural chasm.

The leaders were two Late Stage Quasi-Emperor Realm experts. They scanned Zhou Chen and Qin Xuan's group, their lips curling into sneers, "Ming King? Master Qin? Since when did our Mingyue Imperial Dynasty have a Ming King and a Master Qin?"

"Trespassing into the Imperial City and flying through the air is a capital offense!"

"Form the battle array! Execute the rebels!"

Ten thousand soldiers, clad in armor made of Nether Qi, organized themselves into a battle array in perfect order.

A monstrous killing intent surged from the center of the battle array, rising like tidal waves to pierce the clouds.

Zhou Chen looked at General Gu You in confusion and asked, "What on earth has happened inside the Imperial City? Why do these city guards not even recognize me?"

"They haven't even seen Master Qin?"

"And they even intend to attack us? Could it be that the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty has changed hands?"

General Gu You's expression was full of urgency, and she shook her head, equally confused, "I don't know. When I left the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty, these people were nowhere to be seen."

"Su Youyu and Wu Bingqing are also missing now, and I have no idea where they have gone."

After finding Su Youyu and Wu Bingqing outside the Secret Realm of the Celestial God Clan, she had been waiting on the main road for Qin Xuan and the others.

They had finally reunited, but who would have thought they would encounter such a situation upon returning to the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty?

Not only were Su Youyu and Wu Bingqing missing.

Even the city guards wanted to kill the Ming King?!

"Kill!"

From the battle array formed by over ten thousand soldiers, the soaring Battle Intent transformed into a fiery red Vermilion Bird. Its wings were stained with intense heat, and it swooped down toward Qin Xuan and the others like an ancient vicious beast.

It possessed power comparable to the Peak of the Quasi-Emperor Realm.

"Get lost!"

Qin Xuan snorted coldly, and the ancient prison-suppressing tower spun out.

With just one clash, there was a loud bang.

The Vermilion Bird that flew from the battle array exploded violently, turning into endless flames that fell like a rain of fire, scorching the earth.

The two Quasi-Emperor Realm generals and the soldiers all suffered a backlash, falling from the sky, vomiting blood, their auras withered!

"Emperor Realm!"

"I didn't expect there to be an Emperor Realm expert wanting to force their way into the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty!"

The two Quasi-Emperor Realm generals forced themselves to stand, looking in Qin Xuan's direction, and roared, "Even an Emperor Realm expert cannot trespass on our Mingyue Imperial Dynasty."

"You are already guilty of a capital offense!"

"Wait until..."

Before they could finish, Qin Xuan formed a fist seal and struck out.

Boom—

A crater spanning dozens of miles appeared on the ground where the two generals had been.

The two Quasi-Emperor Realm experts and the ten thousand soldiers in the crater were all reduced to ashes.

Zhou Chen's expression shifted as he looked at Qin Xuan and murmured, "Master Qin..."

Ning Waner's heart tightened as she said, "Qin Xuan, those two generals deserved to die, but perhaps the other soldiers had hidden difficulties, or perhaps they were bewitched."

Qin Xuan shook his head, "These guys are not humans."

This first line of defense of the Mingyue Imperial City was not composed of human soldiers.

It had a striking similarity to the Nether Qi on Empress Zhou Wu.

This inevitably stirred his emotions.

One must know that Empress Zhou Wu and Shangguan Ying used the Three Lives Realm to swap Souls.

Now, it is Shangguan Ying's Soul inside Empress Zhou Wu's body.

No matter which of the two women was suffering persecution.

He could not accept it in his heart.

"Let's go!"

Qin Xuan stepped over the wall and entered the Imperial City.

Wherever they passed, every household kept their doors closed.

Even some of the noble clans and royal relatives of the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty hurriedly closed their gates upon seeing Qin Xuan and Zhou Chen.

It was as if they were afraid of causing trouble, not even daring to speak a word.

Ning Waner frowned, "These people clearly still recognize us, yet they are deliberately keeping their doors closed. What on earth has happened inside the Imperial City of the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty?"

Before the group could reach a conclusion, they saw endless streams of city guards and even the Imperial City's Forbidden Army swarming in from every intersection they were at.

"Capture the rebels!"

"No survivors!!"

"..."

Countless soldiers of the Mingyue Imperial Dynasty surged toward where Qin Xuan was located.

In this crowd, Ning Waner saw familiar faces, and even saw General Linglong, with whom she had a close friendship!

"Why?"

"Why is it like this? Where is Her Majesty the Empress now? Could it be that they are controlled by Great Emperor Ziyang and are forced to kill us?"

Ning Waner truly could not understand the scene before her.

She also could not bring herself to fight to the death with these close friends who were like kin.

Just at this moment, white smoke rose from behind the city guards and the Forbidden Army.

The Forbidden Army, led by General Linglong, exclaimed, "Not good! It's that slut from the Ziyang Empire again! Stop breathing, cut off all intake of Yuan Qi, and remember not to inhale the smoke!"

While the many city guards and the Forbidden Army were in a panic because of the white smoke, Luo Xinyi appeared silently beside Qin Xuan and threw down a pellet.

With a bang, smoke rose up.

Taking advantage of the smoke that obscured their vision, Luo Xinyi led Qin Xuan and his group to quickly flee the scene.

—

A quarter of an hour later, in a dungeon within the Mingyue Imperial City.

Qin Xuan saw Su Youyu, who was dressed in a ruqun.

"Wuwuwu... Qin Xuan, you've finally returned."

"I thought I would never have the chance to see you again in this lifetime!"

Su Youyu excitedly trotted toward Qin Xuan and, without any hesitation, threw herself tightly into his arms.

She enjoyed that warm, reassuring chest as much as she could.

She had been terrified during this time.

Staying inside the Imperial City, she dared not go anywhere. Once encountered by the soldiers in the city, she would be hunted down.

With the slightest mistake, she would die and her Soul would dissipate.

If she hadn't dug out this life-saving cave long ago, she, her third sister, and Luo Xinyi would probably have already perished.

On Zhou Chen's young face, there was full of anxiety, "What on earth has happened inside the Imperial City? Where is my sister? Why have I not seen her figure from beginning to end?"

Ning Waner said even more nervously, "Who on earth is the enemy? Why has the Mingyue Imperial City become like this, and why is even General Linglong working for that person?"

"Who is the enemy?"

In the back, Luo Xinyi crossed her arms over her towering chest, a mocking smile curling on the corners of her lips, and sneered, "In this Mingyue Imperial City, besides Empress Mingyue, Empress Zhou Wu, who else could mobilize the Forbidden Army?"

"If it weren't for Su Youyu providing this hiding place, the three of us would have already died miserably at the hands of Empress Zhou Wu!"

General Gu You hurriedly shook her head, "This is impossible. Her Majesty the Empress is absolutely not the person you describe!"

"When she noticed the abnormality, Her Majesty the Empress had already arranged a backup plan and asked me to notify Qin Xuan to come and reinforce us!"

"..."

Halfway through speaking, General Gu You realized something was wrong.

The mockery in Luo Xinyi's eyes deepened, "Perhaps, she deliberately lured us to the Mingyue Imperial City to make it easier for her to take further action!"