Dragon Blood Saint Emperor

"One Spirit Stone!"

At the city gate, dozens of soldiers at the True Essence Ninth Layer stood, collecting Spirit Stones from everyone who entered.

Although no one was happy about it, they were unwilling to offend the City Lord’s Mansion. Besides, if they didn’t pay and were forced to stay outside the city, they would likely become food for the Demon King.

So, even if they had complaints, they could only bury them in their hearts and obediently hand over their Spirit Stones.

"You, five Spirit Stones!"

After a large man paid his Spirit Stones, a soldier looked at Ye Wushuang.

"Five?"

Ye Wushuang was surprised. "Isn’t it one? Why do I have to pay five?"

"Hmph! You’ll pay however much I say you’ll pay!"

The soldier was instantly furious.

Ye Wushuang clasped one hand behind his back, his expression unchanging. He said, "And what if I don’t?"

"Don’t pay? Are you messing with me?"

Hearing Ye Wushuang’s retort, the soldier grew even angrier. No one had ever dared to talk back to him before. ’This kid clearly doesn’t understand the situation.’

"If you don’t pay, then get lost!"

The soldier stepped forward, the aura of his True Essence Ninth Layer pressing down. "But before you get lost, I’m going to teach you a lesson so you’ll remember it."

’Sigh, this young man is done for!’

Seeing this, the crowd turned to watch, sighing internally.

They knew what these soldiers were like. Whenever they encountered someone who was well-dressed, they would take the opportunity to extort them, lining their own pockets in the process.

’This young fellow is really something, choosing Spirit Stones over his own life.’

Detecting no particularly powerful aura from Ye Wushuang, the crowd sighed again. After being "taught a lesson," he’d probably only have half his life left.

"Kid, Black Stone City isn’t a place you can just waltz into. Remember that!"

The soldier took a large step, preparing to teach Ye Wushuang a harsh lesson before tossing him outside the city as a warning to others.

Ye Wushuang’s eyes narrowed, revealing a cold indifference.

His gaze was like a blade, piercing deep into the soldier’s heart.

The soldier’s eyes filled with terror, as if he had seen some horrifying existence. He staggered back a dozen steps, his eyes locked on Ye Wushuang. His body went rigid, his courage shattered, and the light in his eyes slowly descended into chaos.

This action left the crowd baffled and confused.

"Hahaha..."

Abruptly, after a moment of silence, the soldier burst out laughing. As if driven mad, he began tearing at his own clothes and rolling on the ground.

He had gone mad, completely insane!

Watching the soldier’s actions, the crowd was stunned.

’Did that young man in white just scare him witless with a single glance?’

’Wh... what just happened?’

The hearts of the crowd trembled. They could barely process it. To drive a man mad with a single glance—what kind of power was that?

The crowd looked toward the spot where Ye Wushuang had been standing, only to find no one there. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

Their gazes shifted inside the city gate, and the silhouette of a figure in white once again entered their view.

Everyone’s pupils contracted. It was as if they had encountered a god—so miraculous it defied their imagination.

"H-How did he get in?"

The other soldiers were also staring, their lips trembling. They rubbed their eyes hard and looked again, only to find that the white-clad figure had vanished once more.

"Supernatural!?"

Everyone stared blankly at the city gate.

By this time, Ye Wushuang had already entered Black Stone City and was unaware of the events outside the gate.

Of course, he hadn’t paid them any mind anyway.

If that soldier hadn’t been so insolent, Ye Wushuang wouldn’t have wanted to act.

However, he hadn’t expected the soldier’s mental fortitude to be so poor. With his body empowered by Emperor’s Qi, a single glance had been enough to make the man lose his mind.

’It seems this Emperor’s Qi empowerment, which cultivates an Emperor’s Might and focuses on one’s aura, is quite effective after all.’

Ye Wushuang thought to himself, naturally understanding that this was all due to the power of his Emperor’s Qi.

Previously, he had obtained this ability from the Emperor Dao Fruit. He originally thought it was a useless ability, never expecting it could also intimidate people’s hearts and minds.

Only now did Ye Wushuang realize that this Emperor’s Qi empowerment was also a type of Combat Skill. It cultivated one’s aura, Imperial Might, and the Majesty of the Emperor, allowing one to awe the entire world!

When active, its power was enough to make any Cultivator below the Spiritual Spring Realm shatter with terror. For those with weaker mental fortitude, it wasn’t impossible for them to be driven mad.

Shaking his head, Ye Wushuang didn’t dwell on it and continued walking down the street.

Along the way, everyone was in a state of panic. The topic on most people’s lips was the Demon King.

He had little interest in this so-called Demon King. The fact that it could be defeated by someone at the Spiritual Spring Eighth Layer was enough to show how pathetic this Demon King truly was.

Before long, Ye Wushuang arrived at a tavern.

"This way, sir, please come in!"

A young man dressed as a waiter came forward to greet him and led Ye Wushuang into the tavern.

"What can I get for you, sir?"

The waiter asked with a smile and a bow.

"A pot of wine, your strongest!" Ye Wushuang said faintly. At this moment, he found himself missing the taste of Drunken Half-Madness.

"Right away! Please have a seat here, sir. It’ll just be a moment!"

The waiter nodded and shouted in a clear voice, "Table fourteen, one pot of Fire Orchid Spirit!"

Ye Wushuang sat at table fourteen. Not long after the waiter’s voice faded, a stunningly beautiful woman descended from the second floor, carrying a tray with the wine.

The woman was tall, with a delicate, oval face. Though her clothes were plain, her movements and gait were dignified and graceful. She could certainly be considered a kingdom-toppling beauty.

"It’s Miss Lan!"

Upon seeing her, all the patrons grew incredibly excited, as if they had just seen their goddess.

"Sir, this is the Fire Orchid Spirit you ordered, and also the strongest wine in the tavern." Lan Xinyu placed the wine on Ye Wushuang’s table and poured a cup with extreme elegance.

"Please enjoy, sir."

After pouring the wine, Lan Xinyu turned to leave.

"Miss Lan, we want Fire Orchid Spirit too!" Seeing this, the patrons became as excited as if they’d been injected with chicken blood, all clamoring to order Fire Orchid Spirit.

Ye Wushuang picked up his cup and glanced at the excited crowd around him. He hadn’t expected this woman to attract the admiration of so many.

All she did was pour a cup of wine, and they were all rushing to imitate him.

"If you all would like some as well, please wait a moment."

Lan Xinyu smiled faintly and was about to turn and go upstairs.

"I want a pot, too!"

Suddenly, a lazy voice sounded from outside the door.

The excited, boiling atmosphere in the tavern vanished in an instant.

Ye Wushuang noticed that the excited expressions on the patrons’ faces had also vanished without a trace.

A young man with a deathly pale face walked in with an ostentatious gait, looking as if he had overindulged in carnal pleasures.

"Zheng Ke!"

Looking at the young man, the patrons were clearly wary.

Zheng Ke was the Young Master of the City Lord’s Mansion, the tyrant of Black Stone City. With the City Lord for a father, he acted without restraint, arrogant and domineering. Offending him would absolutely not end well.

Lan Xinyu also turned her head. Seeing Zheng Ke, her pretty face changed slightly.

"Xinyu!"

Seeing Lan Xinyu, Zheng Ke walked over with a lecherous smile.

When he reached Lan Xinyu, he suddenly seemed to think of something, whipped his head around, and shouted domineeringly, "This young master is buying all the Fire Orchid Spirit! In fact, this young master is buying out the whole tavern for today! Everyone else, get the hell out! Now!"