Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

The big, fat man’s voice sounded surprisingly young. His eyes swept over Elder Rong and Nangong Elder as he spoke softly, "You two, your cultivation was hard-earned. I advise you... to stay out of these muddy waters!"

Nangong Elder sneered. "Muddy waters? What right do scoundrels like you, who won’t even show your faces, have to say that to me?"

"WAHAHAHAHA!" the fat Sword Sect expert roared with laughter. After a few wild cackles, he said, "Since you’re so intent on courting death, then let me see for myself... the power of the two legendary Sword Sect experts who have long resided within the Imperial Palace!"

As he spoke, the aura around him suddenly condensed. A bright, silver longsword appeared in his hand. The blade left its sheath with a brilliant flash of light. He pointed it at Nangong Elder and roared, "Die!"

A sword appeared in Nangong Elder’s hand as well. With a single swing, a long wave of Sword Qi slashed down through the air, instantly cutting down dozens of the anxious soldiers below!

A commotion erupted among the troops surrounding His Majesty the King below. When faced with a powerhouse like a Sword Sect expert, even men who had resigned themselves to death couldn’t help but tremble to their very core!

Following the slash, Nangong Elder descended like a tiger pouncing on a flock of sheep, his body diving like an inverted corkscrew into the ranks of soldiers below.

The Crown Prince roared frantically, "Archers, shoot! Kill the target first!"

The fat Sword Sect expert in the air, having been tricked by Nangong Elder, felt his eyes burn with fury. "You dare trick me? You’re courting death!" he bellowed, about to dive after him.

Elder Rong, who was nearby, sneered. "Not so fast. I’ll be your opponent!"

The fat Sword Sect expert laughed heartily. "Fine! If you’re so eager to die, I’ll oblige you!" He then shouted to the slim Sword Sect expert, "Let’s attack together! We’ll kill him first!"

The slim Sword Sect expert nodded. His longsword erupted with a fiery red Sword Qi several meters long, which he then slashed viciously toward Elder Rong.

But Elder Rong, still in the air, neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he turned toward His Majesty the King and shouted, "Your Majesty... Nangong and I never truly left you! We... shall meet again in the next life!" As he finished speaking, his body abruptly began to expand. His once withered face and shriveled frame swelled up like a balloon being inflated.

The two Sword Sect experts, seeing this, were scared out of their wits. They roared in unison, "Run! He’s going to self-destruct!"

"BOOM!"

A massive explosion suddenly erupted in midair. A colossal wave of Qi Force burst forth, with Elder Rong’s body at its epicenter.

The two Sword Sect experts in the air unleashed their full power to form protective barriers, but how could the self-detonation of a fellow Sword Sect expert be so easily evaded?

The bodies of the two powerful Sword Sect experts were flung away like dead leaves in a gale!

Below, tears finally streamed from His Majesty the King’s aged eyes. He choked out, "Elder Rong... why did you have to do this?"

Meanwhile, Nangong Elder had felled several hundred men below with a single sweep of his sword! He then roared, "Who dares make a move!" and appeared by His Majesty the King’s side like a bolt of lightning. "Your Majesty," he said urgently, "Elder Rong cannot have died in vain! Where there’s life, there’s hope! You must come with me, quickly! They have other experts on their side!"

His Majesty the King, however, shook his head. With tears streaming down his face, he said in a heavy voice, "Teacher Nangong, you and Elder Rong watched me grow up. You know my character. I will not leave this Imperial City! This is about... the last shred of my dignity as an Emperor! Please, take my third son. My edict has already been written. The new Emperor of the Lanyue Empire is Li Wuxiao! Take my third son and my Jade Seal, and go seek refuge with Ling Xiao of Penzes City!"

"Ling Xiao?... What? No! Your Majesty, how can the Lanyue Empire carry on without you?" Nangong Elder cried, anxiously reaching for the King’s arm.

But the old King fell to his knees with a thud before Nangong Elder. "I beg you, Teacher, please grant my wish!" he pleaded, his voice choked with sobs.

Seeing the Crown Prince reorganizing his troops and calming the soldiers, Nangong Elder knew there was no more time to waste. He could only shake his head in anguish, fresh tears streaming down his old face. "Very well!"

He rushed into the room, snatched up the swaddled infant, and swept a letter and a fist-sized Jade Seal from beside the baby into his Space Ring. He gave one last look at the weeping Empress on the bed. Holding the infant in one arm and his sword in the other, he unleashed a massive wave of Sword Qi, blasting a hole through the ceiling. With a WHOOSH, Nangong Elder shot through the opening and, without a moment’s hesitation, streaked away like a bolt of lightning.

The Crown Prince was seething with rage. He had never imagined that the two Sword Sect experts who had left His Majesty the King would be able to return at such a critical moment. That alone shouldn’t have been a problem; he had three powerful Sword Sect experts on his side. One was inside the Imperial Palace, busy killing His Majesty’s formidable Demon Sword Masters, and the other two were with him.

So, even with Nangong Elder and Elder Rong returning, it should have been a lost cause. But he never expected Elder Rong to be so fiery and resolute, to immediately resort to self-detonation and unexpectedly injure the two Sword Sect experts by his side. If Nangong Elder hadn’t been so concerned for the King, the men around him now would have been cut down in a few swings of his sword.

Now, seeing Nangong Elder enter the King’s chambers and then burst into the sky, apparently holding an infant, filled him with utter hatred. He had no idea where Nangong Elder could be taking his third brother.

The situation was now irreversible. He stared coldly at his father, who stood at the entrance to the Empress’s chambers like a lion guarding its territory. Looking into his father’s indifferent eyes, he felt a growing sense of dread.

He roared like a madman, "Archers! Shoot him! Shoot him dead! Shoot them all dead!"

...

「Outside Penzes City.」

Ling Xiao looked at Yisha and Huangpu Yue in their carriage and said with a warm smile, "Be extra careful on your way to the Imperial Capital. I’ll have Meng Li and the others head over soon. Don’t worry, you’ll have protection!"

Huangpu Yue smiled sweetly. "Alright, my Lord, I will take good care of your Little Yisha!"

Just then, a cloud of dust appeared in the distance. A single swift horse, at first just a black dot, rapidly grew larger. Suddenly, its rider leaped from the saddle, soaring through the air. Everyone present was stunned.