Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

"How... How is this possible?"

Gazing at the huge hole torn into the Mount Shu Sword Formation, Sword Saint Lei Yin’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. The three elders from Nanshu Jian Gong were also terror-stricken, shaken to their very cores.

The Mount Shu Sword Formation was a Superior Grade Holy Formation. Moreover, it was built upon these vast mountains and the efforts of past generations, becoming one with heaven and earth. Its power was incredibly formidable; with Sword Saint Lei Yin at the helm and their assistance, it could even withstand a strike from a Great Emperor. Such a mighty formation had only been breached a scant two times in history, and each occasion had been at the hands of a warrior from the Great Emperor Realm.

The Nineteenth Prince was merely in the Supreme Realm. Although his last strike was strong, it was, at best, comparable to a Saint’s attack. How could it possibly break the Mount Shu Sword Formation? It was true that this strike hadn’t completely shattered the formation; he had only carved a hole in it. The Sword Array was still intact and had not collapsed. But this was enough to make everyone’s jaw drop, as such an event had never occurred before.

"Xing’er is incredible! So much for the vaunted Mount Shu Sword Formation! He tore it open with a single strike!"

Beside Su Han, sparks of delight flashed in Wei Ying’s beautiful eyes, her delicate face filled with pride. She had certainly heard of the Mount Shu Sword Formation’s renown, but now Su Han had breached it with a single attack. How could she not be ecstatic? How could she not feel proud?

Nearby, Wei Wenzheng remained silent, but his pupils contracted sharply, his heart pounding with shock. The strength of the Mount Shu Sword Formation, even without a Saint to lead it, was extremely formidable when powered by eight thousand disciples. Even he couldn’t have broken it, let alone punched a hole through it. Yet Su Han had done it, and with seemingly no effort at all.

This inevitably made Wei Wenzheng question how it was possible. Was it a fluke? Or did this nephew of his truly possess such vision and strength?

The Nineteenth Prince’s innate talent was formidable, and Wei Wenzheng had always taken him seriously, but he had viewed him as a naive junior. Even during the sword conference, he had maintained a conservative attitude. Yet Su Han’s actions today completely overturned his previous impressions. His domineering character hadn’t changed much. However, a closer look would reveal that behind his seemingly arrogant facade, he was meticulously calculating. Step by step, he pressed Nanshu Jian Gong until they couldn’t raise their heads and dared not even utter a word in protest. The nuances of this were difficult to grasp, but Su Han had succeeded, forcing Wei Wenzheng to reassess him and regard him with far greater importance.

Su Han showed no reaction to the Sword Saint’s astonishment or Wei Wenzheng’s doubt. He had merely struck out with his sword, not revealing his identity as an Array Master. As for their suspicions, he would let them wonder.

"Kill!"

The hole Su Han had carved was right next to the Black Armored Army’s position. In that instant, the thousand Black Armored Dead Soldiers transformed into a steel torrent, surging into the opening.

"This is bad! Quickly, plug the hole!"

The moment the hole appeared, the Mount Shu Sword Formation was no longer whole. Once the Black Armored Army broke through, they would inevitably wreak havoc. Facing internal chaos and external threats, with no Saint to preside over the formation, the Mount Shu Sword Formation would surely collapse rapidly. That would truly be a catastrophe.

Unfortunately, it was too late for them to shore up their defenses. The Black Armored Army charged into the hole, empowered by the Nether Dragon Slaying Prison Formation. Wielding black longswords, they moved in perfect unison. With a single, coordinated slash, a rainbow of Sword Qi shot out, striking the disciples of Nanshu Jian Gong.

SQUELCH!

The wave of sword light swept over a hundred disciples, sending blood spurting into the air amidst a chorus of screams. In the blink of an eye, dozens of bodies fell. Some were sliced in half at the waist, some were cleaved in two, and others died so brutally they were left without a complete corpse. The scene was ghastly, the ground stained crimson with blood.

As the Black Armored Army penetrated the Mount Shu Sword Formation, the recently stabilized situation collapsed again, this time more perilous than ever. The Black Armored Army was composed entirely of Dead Soldiers. Fearless and fierce, they acted as one. Empowered by the Nether Dragon Slaying Prison Formation, they were like a true black Nether Dragon bringing death and slaughter. No one could stand in their way as they tore the breach Su Han had created into an even larger gap.

"Fight them with everything we have! Even if I die, I’ll take them down with me!"

"I was born a man of Nanshu Jian Gong, and I will die a ghost of Nanshu Jian Gong! I will live or die with the palace!"

"This is terrifying! I don’t want to die!"

Within Nanshu Jian Gong, disciples fought a bloody battle. Some were fearless in the face of death, while others recoiled in terror. But regardless, the war raged on, and the slaughter had not ceased.

CRACK!

On the other side of the battlefield, the large gap torn into the Mount Shu Sword Formation had a domino effect. The adjacent section of the Sword Array became unstable and fractured under the relentless assault of the Imperial Guard, its Formation Patterns shattering.

BOOM!

Before long, the Mount Shu Sword Formation could no longer hold. It crumbled completely under the Imperial Guard’s attack, leaving its eight thousand disciples dead or wounded. Without the protection of the Mount Shu Sword Formation, the plight of the disciples grew even more tragic.

"Your Highness, do you intend to annihilate Nanshu Jian Gong?" Sword Saint Lei Yin shouted hoarsely, his eyes bloodshot and his body trembling. He was unwilling to witness such a tragedy unfold.

However, Su Han’s face was expressionless, utterly indifferent.

"Today, half of Nanshu Jian Gong’s disciples shall die, and the palace will be sealed for ten years. Otherwise, this Prince will see this through to the bitter end!"

Su Han laid out his conditions. They left Sword Saint Lei Yin horrified, his heart clenching in agony. Sealing the palace for ten years was one thing, but killing half of the disciples? That was four thousand people. It was far too cruel.

"Your Highness..."

Sword Saint Lei Yin tried to negotiate more favorable terms for Nanshu Jian Gong, but Su Han simply raised a hand, cutting him off.

"This is my bottom line. If you do not agree, then let the battle continue!"

Su Han was domineering and aggressive. He intended to use this battle to send a message to the world: those who provoke me will pay a price in blood!

He could no longer allow the people around him to be hurt because of him. Only by killing the chicken to warn the monkeys could he intimidate the world. Nanshu Jian Gong had the misfortune of being that chicken.

"Alas!"

Hearing Su Han’s resolute words, Sword Saint Lei Yin’s mouth hung open for a long moment. Finally, he let out a deep sigh, a feeling of powerlessness washing over him.

"AHHHH!"

Shrill, heart-wrenching screams filled the air, and the sight of the blood-soaked ground was horrifying. One by one, the disciples fell, their vibrant lives turning into cold corpses. This day was destined to be recorded in the annals of Nanshu Jian Gong as a day of darkness.

The Black Armored Army and the Imperial Guard poured into Nanshu Jian Gong. Highly trained and moving in perfect unison, they were like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, reaping one life after another. The eight thousand disciples of Nanshu Jian Gong were slaughtered without end. Bodies piled into mountains, and blood pooled into rivers. The screams and wails merged into a dirge, causing Sword Saint Lei Yin and the three elders to tremble in agony.

In the end, half of the eight thousand disciples lay dead. Nanshu Jian Gong had suffered devastating casualties.