Southwest gate.

A bitter battle played out as the smell of blood filled the air.

Above the city walls, robust Genesis Qi surged around Lin Nian’s body, every attack of his containing tyrannical power that could split the earth. Lu Tieshan and several Heaven Gate experts surrounded the former, unafraid of death as they charged towards him in succession, continuously trying to contain him such that he would be unable to free himself and attack the city gate.

However, an Alpha-Origin expert was not so easily stopped.

Out of the seven Heaven Gate experts, one had already been killed, while two had been gravely injured. The bodies of everyone else were drenched with blood, making them appear exceptionally miserable.

Anyone could see that Lu Tieshan and the rest would soon be defeated.

This scene similarly landed in the eyes of the top tier experts on both sides.

"Haha, looks like your southwest gate is about to fall." Wang Chaotian constantly taunted while he fought with Zhou Yuan, hoping that his words would affect the latter’s concentration.

However, such methods had no effect no Zhou Yuan, but instead made his attacks grow increasingly precise. Although he knew that the southwest gate was indeed a weak point, their current situation made it such that none of them could afford even the slightest distraction. Only by finishing off the opponent before them as fast as possible would they be able to reverse the situation.

"Plan on speedily finishing me off? What arrogance you foolish brat."

Wang Chaotian was likewise able to sense Zhou Yuan’s intentions and merely chuckled in response. A wily old fox like him would naturally not clash directly with Zhou Yuan and instead chose a roaming style of battle, evidently intent on delaying Zhou Yuan such that Lin Nian would have time to break the southwest gate. Once that happened, Great Zhou’s top tier experts would surely begin to panic.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Zhou Yuan’s eyes were ice-cold. He showed no concern as his attacks grew increasingly deadly.

...

Boom!

Berserk Genesis Qi unfurled above the southwest gate, causing Lu Tieshan and the rest to be flung backwards. They crashed into the city wall, each vomiting a mouthful of blood.

The Genesis Qi undulations around them had grown rather weak, making it clear that all of them had suffered serious injuries.

Outside this battlefield, dread rose on the city soldiers faces as they looked towards the seemingly invincible Lin Nian. Even the Heaven Gate experts were unable to stop him, ordinary soldiers like them would only be throwing away their lives against him.

A decisive look flitted across Lu Tieshan’s eyes as he croaked, "My companions, his majesty has always treated us kindly. It is time for us repay our country with our bodies."

The other Heaven Gate experts grimly nodded when they heard this, resolution welling up in their eyes. They would delay Lin Nian even if they had to fight to their deaths.

Thus, under the attention of those numerous gazes, Lu Tieshan and the rest staggered to their feet and began to charge forward again.

Lin Nian stood with his hands behind his back. He indifferently glanced at Lu Tieshan and the rest as he shook his head. "Reckless fools, trying to stop me with just the few of you is simply wishful thinking."

Lu Tieshan wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth and grinned. "Even if we die, we’re still better than the traitors that surrendered and changed sides back then!"

Lin Nian’s eyes turned frosty, killing intent surging within them as he stared at Lu Tieshan and said in a chilling voice, "It seems that you are pretty tough? Let me see if I will be able to crush every bone in your body inch by inch."

Powerful Genesis Qi suddenly exploded from his body like a storm, causing cracks to emerge on the bricks below.

Swoosh!

He moved, transforming into a shadow as he shot towards Lu Tieshan.

"Stop him!" The other Heaven Gate experts roared, Genesis Qi surging as ferocious attacks blasted towards Lin Nian.

Thump!

However, Genesis Qi swept out from Lin Nians body and sent them flying while his figure appeared in front of Lu Tieshan in a flash. Lin Nian’s hand reached out like an eagle’s claw, grabbing Lu Tieshan throat and slowly lifting him into the air.

Lu Nian cocked his head slightly as he stared at Lu Tieshan and said, "Acting tough with such pathetic strength?"

The only reply from Lu Tieshan was the disdain in his eyes. Not even the slightest bit of fear could be seen within them.

The eyes of countless soldiers in the vicinity turned red when they saw this as they charged towards Lin Nian with a howl.

However, Genesis Qi pulsed from Lin Nian’s body again, blowing them away like a storm.

"I really do not like that look in your eyes, so you’ll just have to die. Don’t worry, your master will accompany you very soon." Murder surged within Lin Nian’s eyes, the Genesis Qi in his hand preparing to crush Lu Tieshan’s head.

"I would release him if I was you."

Just as he was about to kill Lu Tieshan however, an ice-cold voice suddenly rang out from the blood drenched city walls.

Lin Nian was stunned for a moment. He tilted his head and saw a girl in green and white atop the nearby city walls. She stood in the middle of all the spilled blood, a certain sharpness within those bright eyes of hers as she stared at him.

"You’re the one that spoke?" Lin Nian stared at Su Youwei with some interest. A strange look flitted across his eyes as they swept up and down her gorgeous figure, before he smiled and said, "Your looks are not bad little girl. It just so happens that I lack a concubine to pamper and I find you very suitable."

Lu Tieshan began to struggle violently when he saw Su Youwei appear, his face turning red as he choked out, "Leave quickly miss Su!"

Su Youwei was Zhou Yuan’s friend, and more importantly only had the strength of the Qi Nourishing stage. She would be of no use here and would only end up losing her life for nothing.

However, Su Youwei’s pretty face remained tranquil, her bright eyes akin to a calm lake as she silently stared at Lin Nian. All of a sudden, a smile slowly spread across a face.

This smile was akin to a hundred flowers blooming in unison, a beautiful and moving sight. For a time, even the bright red blood on the city walls seemed to appear a little dimmer.

Lin Nian licked his lips as he watched her smile, lust and the desire to possess surging out in his eyes.

He loved beauties, but the ones he had enjoyed over the years seemed to instantly lose all color before this girl. It was not a disparity in looks but presence.

"You’re mine." Said Lin Nian as if it was the most absolute truth.

However, there was still no response from the girl. She merely lifted a hand, a faint glow emerging from the center of her palm as the silhouette of a sword that gave off a black and white luster slowly appeared.

The sword silhouette trembled faintly in Su Youwei’s hand as the cry of a sword rang out.

Yiing!

The initially feeble sword cry suddenly resounded across the area a split second later as an indescribably deadly sword aura exploded from Su Youwei’s body.

Lin Nian’s pupils immediately tightened as his foot paused mid-step. Bewilderment filled his eyes as he observed Su Youwei. He was unable to comprehend why such an astonishing sword aura would emerge from the body of a Qi Nourishing stage girl.

A sword aura that deeply threatened even someone like himself.

Su Youwei ignored the numerous gazes that were fixed on her, every fibre of her being fully concentrated on tightly gripping the black and white sword silhouette in her hand. In the next moment, she suddenly moved, sword pointed at Lin Nian as she lightly slashed.

As she slashed, black and white sword Qi swept across the sky above the city walls.

The rapidly approaching black and white sword Qi made all the hairs on Lin Nian’s body stand as terror surfaced in his eyes. There was no hesitation as he pulled out all of the Genesis Qi in his body, vigorous Genesis Qi rapidly wrapping around him like an egg.

Ch!

The black and white sword descended and touched the Genesis Qi shroud before strangely disappearing with a swoosh.

The black and white sword had arrived quickly and disappeared even quicker.

It had only lasted several breaths before fading from this world.

Countless gazes were glued to Lin Nian. His Genesis Qi shroud was still swirling around him and seemed to have not taken any damage at all.

Lin Nian’s eyes rotated in thought for a while, completely unsure. However, he did not disperse the Genesis Qi shroud in the end as he coldly looked at Su Youwei and said in an icy voice, "What are you doing?"

"I originally did not plan on crushing a pretty flower like yourself, but you give me an uneasy feeling. However, I can still have a good time with your corpse!"

He prepared to move the moment his words faded.

However, it was at this very moment that he suddenly realised the strange look in the gazes that were looking at him.

Liquid suddenly fell from between his brows and obscured his sight. Shock and horror jumped up in him, because the identity of the liquid was warm fresh blood.

Lin Nian said in horror, "You, what did you do?!"

Fresh blood flowed as a blood-red line grew from the top of Lin Nian’s head all the way to the ground.

The black and white sword slowly disappeared from Su Youwei’s hand as her red lips parted slightly and a soft voice rang out, "It seems that you will not be able to cross the southwest gate."

The view before Lin Nian gradually turned darker and darker, a look of disbelief in his eyes even till the end. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that the girl in front of him would be able to display such a terrifying sword attack...

Just how had that sword attack broken through his defences?

The vigorous Genesis Qi surging around Lin Nian’s body completely faded at away at this moment. Under countless gazes filled with both terror and shock, his body split into two, fresh blood wildly spurting out as the two halves slowly fell to the ground.

Confusion was present on his face even till death.

The vicinity of the southwest gate fell silence at this moment.

Within the silence, Su Youwei’s figure crumpled into a seating position, the weakness inside her body making her incapable of moving. Her clenched fist trembled faintly as a happy arc rose on her ruddy little mouth.

"Yangming... thank you. I will definitely help you recover in future."

The black and white sword silhouette in her Qi Dwelling shook for a moment before growing increasingly dim as the lustre it originally gave off faded into oblivion.

She lifted her head, her lips pursing into a small smile as she gazed at the city gate where Zhou Yuan was at.

"Your highness... I’ve helped you protect this city gate."

As her faint voice faded, the view before her eyes abruptly descended into darkness.

...

The unforeseen turn of events at the southwest gate stunned the experts on both sides. No one had expected that Lin Nian would die at the hands of a Qi Nourishing stage girl.

The experts of Great Qi breathed a sigh of relief however, because the girl seemed to have lost consciousness after that heaven-shaking sword slash, making her unable to perform a second strike.

A complicated expression was present in Zhou Yuan’s eyes as he looked towards the southwest gate and softly mumbled, "Thank you Youwei."

If Su Youwei had not acted, Great Zhou would definitely have to pay an even steeper price.

With a deep breath, he restrained all his feelings as his eyes began to become akin to an ancient bottomless well. As he gazed at the bewildered expression on Wang Chaotian’s face, his hand wrapped around a growing the Heavenly Yuan Brush.

Its sharp spear-like tip slowly pointed towards Wang Chaotian, the killing intent in Zhou Yuan’s eyes practically overflowing. Now that he no longer had to worry about the southwest gate, he could finally place all of his attention here.

"You like to play right?"

"Then look forward to the fun we will be having next."

"I’m only afraid that it will be too much for you!"