Chapter 166 - 195: Celestial Net Sword! Mingfeng Saber! Bei Zhongming! A Storm Is Brewing
Xia Imperial City, bustling by day.
Outside the East City Gate, a figure stumbled in.
He was clad in ragged, blood-soaked clothes, his body covered in branded, black scars.
It seemed he hadn’t seen the bright sun for a long time, and was suddenly exposed to the light of day once more.
He struggled to open his bloodshot eyes, looking around blankly, unable to determine his current location.
Suddenly, a faint, hazy figure, like a form made of mist, appeared before him.
Upon seeing this figure, the man seemed to have found his target, and he staggered off in pursuit.
The figure was incredibly ghostly. It moved through the crowd in broad daylight, yet only the blood-soaked man could see it clearly.
The mysterious figure led the man at an unhurried pace, and before long, they arrived at the central plaza of Xia Imperial City.
This was the most prosperous and bustling area in all of Xia Imperial City.
By now, some people had noticed the blood-soaked man’s strange condition. Surprised, they were debating whether to report him to the authorities.
At the same time, patrolling city guards frowned, tightened their grip on their weapons, and began walking toward the man with wary expressions.
But once the blood-soaked man reached the plaza, the figure vanished without a trace.
He stared wide-eyed with his bloodshot gaze, searching blankly in all directions.
Suddenly, it was as if he had awoken!
He threw his head back and bellowed at the crowd, "Great Xia must be destroyed! Great Xia must be destroyed!"
His voice was hoarse, and blood sprayed from his mouth!
It was like the shriek of a Fierce Ghost, piercing and mournful!
After just a few shouts, he had drawn the attention of everyone in the plaza.
Countless people stared at him in astonishment.
For a moment, the vast plaza fell into an eerie silence.
No one could have imagined it.
That someone would dare stand in the center of the Imperial City, in broad daylight, and utter such a treasonous slogan!
"Damn it!"
A patrolling Captain of the Guard reacted, instantly gripping the black hilt of his sword and charging forward with a grim expression!
SWISH!
He flipped his blade with lightning speed, unleashing a silver-white Sword Aura under the brilliant sun that was quite blinding!
But in the next moment, the Sword Aura he had slashed toward the crazed, blood-soaked man vanished strangely!
It was as if it had been absorbed by something!
’This is bad!’
His Heart Spirit trembled and his eyes narrowed. Such a bizarre scene made him smell a conspiracy; he felt that something major was about to happen!
WHOOSH!
His figure flickered away from the scene, rushing toward the Emperor’s Hall.
But the blood-soaked man paid no mind to the movements of those around him. Like a marionette, he continued to roar.
"The Celestial Net Sword! The Mingfeng Saber! Both are in the Great Xia Imperial City!"
"Great Xia must die! A new dynasty must rise!"
"He who obtains either the Celestial Net or the Mingfeng will rule the world!"
"The Celestial Net and the Mingfeng are both deep within the Great Xia Prison!"
"Go find them! Go find them! Haha..."
Toward the end, his mournful voice was simply terrifying to hear!
The man’s state grew more manic and dazed, and his body pitched forward.
He himself seemed to feel nothing. Even after collapsing to the ground, he continued to shout over and over.
At the very end, he burst into crazed laughter.
Like a complete madman.
Most of the onlookers in the plaza also believed the man had gone insane, but a few had a sharp glint in their eyes.
Suddenly!
The collapsed, blood-soaked man gave a sinister laugh. "None of you believe me?"
"Then do you believe the heavens!?"
With that, the man pointed a finger at the sky.
His finger aimed straight at the great sun in the sky!
The instant his finger pointed toward the sun,
Countless people watched with their own eyes as the great sun hanging in the firmament was suddenly obscured by an illusory Fire Phoenix!
A few breaths later,
streaks of golden light shot across the heavens!
In the span of a breath, the Fire Phoenix cried out and the golden lights blazed!
But then, Evil Qi surged, and a rain of blood poured down!
For a moment, everyone gazing at the sky was completely stunned.
An indescribable fear and horror washed over them like a tidal wave, drowning their Heart Spirits and sweeping through their entire bodies!
"AHHH—"
Someone screamed.
Panic spread like smoke!
The entire vast Imperial City was thrown into chaos.
But the instigator, the blood-soaked man, was now laughing heartily.
His voice, like that of a ghastly Fierce Ghost, was particularly jarring amidst the panic and chaos!
No one saw the mysterious, hazy figure high in the sky.
He was also staring blankly at the celestial phenomenon, his face filled with shock and bewilderment.
He murmured to himself, "What’s going on? I haven’t even made my move yet..."
A moment later, his expression soured. He mostly understood now that in this grand, strategic game, he was nothing more than a pawn.
...
「An hour later.」
The commotion in Xia Imperial City had subsided.
The strange phenomena had vanished, and the central plaza was now sealed off.
A large contingent of troops surrounded the area.
In the center lay a young man, covered in blood, his pupils dilated, completely devoid of life.
The high-ranking officials of the court all stared grimly at the man before them, traces of horror still lingering on their faces.
"Damn it! How did he get out?"
Prison Chief Murong Hai angrily questioned a middle-aged head jailer beside him.
The man didn’t know how to answer. He trembled, stammering,
"He’s always been held in A-Class Prison. The Sealing Array wasn’t touched or loosened, and no one saw him leave the prison."
"But somehow... he just escaped..."
Murong Hai’s brows were tightly furrowed. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask something more, but froze, not knowing what to ask.
Finally, he could only command with a dark expression.
"Forget it! Just take the body away!"
"Yes!"
The middle-aged head jailer responded, then picked up the body and hurried away.
The troops in the plaza gradually dispersed, but Murong Hai and the other high-ranking officials remained standing there.
They were all silent.
This was because today’s events were simply too full of suspicion, too bizarre, and too shocking!
Even they felt a sense of helplessness.
"To be able to lead a living person all the way here from the heavily sealed A-Class Prison."
"And to have him shout those words..."
"The breadth of this person’s Divine Techniques is beyond our imagination."
Murong Hai murmured.
The others were also visibly moved.
They had all witnessed the earlier phenomenon with their own eyes—the cry of the Fire Phoenix, the golden light piercing the sun, and the sky stained with blood.
To this moment, their hearts were still filled with shock.
Even with their Martial Arts Cultivation and understanding, they couldn’t imagine what kind of power could create such an astonishing celestial event.
"This matter involves the Celestial Net Sword and the Mingfeng Saber, two very special Sacred Artifacts."
"It must be reported immediately."
Chen Tianfeng said with a grave expression.
Deep worry filled his eyes as he warned in a low voice, "This person was led to the center of the Imperial City in broad daylight by the mastermind, who then had him reveal the news about the Celestial Net Sword and Mingfeng Saber, and even explicitly stated they are deep within the prison."
"Coupled with the celestial phenomena as proof,"
"Now... I fear it will be very difficult to make anyone in the world disbelieve this matter."
Murong Hai and the others had complex expressions upon hearing this.
Supreme Treasures stir the hearts of men!
Now, once the news spreads, who knows how many Demon Fiends and monsters will flock to the Imperial City to fight for the Supreme Treasures!
A storm is coming!
...
「North Sea.」 On the boundless ocean, a massive, silvery-white structure floated in mid-air, standing majestically!
Countless waves, carrying a dazzling array of colors, crashed against the sides of the palace, their sound shaking the heavens.
Inside the structure, mountains encircled the area, and exquisite pavilions shrouded in thin mist stood tall.
At this moment, within the highest silver-white pavilion,
two people were sitting opposite each other.
"Grand Master, will this course of action attract the attention of that existence in the Imperial City?"
a young man in blue robes asked with a solemn expression.
The person he spoke of was none other than the new Boxing Saint of Xia Imperial City, who had recently trampled the Dragon Palace and shattered Ao Gu with his fists!
He was quite wary of this individual.
"And what if he does know?"
Across from him, an old man with shoulder-length white hair replied dismissively, a kind smile on his face.
"Tian’er, you still don’t see the full picture."
"The key to this overt scheme isn’t the two treasures, nor is it whether that person will find out."
SPLASH—
As he spoke, he raised a hand to pour a cup of clear tea, adding with a faint smile, "It lies in the hearts of men!"
"As for what that person will do, what has it to do with us?"
"Let the slaughter in Xia Imperial City begin. Our Canghai Sect will just sit on high and enjoy the show as the heroes contend for supremacy!"
The old man took a light sip of his tea and spoke with a smile.
The young man watched the surging waves all around, lost in thought.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
Just then, a great black bell placed on the mountain peak suddenly rang three times.
The blue-robed youth’s expression changed in a flash!
A thought involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
When the northern bell chimes, a rain of blood will come!
This meant that a terrifying storm of blood was about to unfold within the sect!
"Interesting. Is my Canghai Sect also being drawn into the game?"
"Fine. Then let’s see who will have the last laugh..."
Hearing the bell, the old man’s expression changed slightly.
Then, he drank a mouthful of tea.
With a flick of his sleeve, he tossed the Jade Cup away!
CRASH!
...
CLINK!
"Haha! Come! Su Bai, have another drink with your Uncle Wang!"
In the small county town, Uncle Wang’s face was flushed red. He chuckled as he raised his cup, swaying slightly as he clinked it against Su Bai’s.
"Uncle Wang! You better take it easy, or Auntie will be here any minute!"
Su Bai didn’t refuse, and with a smile, he had another drink with Uncle Wang.
Having finally gotten a two-day break, Su Bai had returned home, bringing back a few bottles of fine wine given to him by Zhang Wei.
And so, here they were, drinking heartily with Uncle Wang by candlelight and moonlight.
"Haha! So satisfying!"
Uncle Wang was overjoyed, laughing again and again!
He had never had such good wine in his life.
"Alright! You’re not a strong man, drink less!"
Aunt Chen chided with a smile as she brought in the dishes.
The room was filled with warmth and laughter.
The next morning, Su Bai returned to the prison.
As soon as he entered the prison, Su Bai saw Zhang Wei and a few others gathered together, talking about something in a secretive manner.
He frowned and went closer to listen.
Before long, he heard them talking about "celestial phenomena," the "Mingfeng Saber," the "Celestial Net Sword," and so on.
Everyone looked anxious, their hearts heavy.
After all, when these Demon Fiends and monsters arrived, the Great Xia Prison would surely be the first to be impacted!
After listening, Su Bai had a strange expression.
He knew about the Celestial Net Sword, of course. That sword was still stuck in the chest of the Rashomon Sect Leader!
As for this Mingfeng Saber, he had no idea.
As for the person behind all this, the stench of an overt scheme was practically overflowing!
But he didn’t care. Covert scheme or overt scheme,
it was nothing that couldn’t be shattered with absolute power!
Su Bai’s brow smoothed out. He even felt a little excited.
’It’s good that they’re coming.’
’Saves me the trouble of having to go out and catch people to bring in!’
’Experience monsters that deliver themselves to your doorstep are rare these days!’