Chapter 990: Just As Before

High above Daxi's capital, Yu Banruo was locked in combat with the injured Void Saint. In the blink of an eye, he gained a massive advantage. One slash severed the Void Saint's arm, and another left a gaping wound across his back.

"Don't even think about escaping. Of course, you could try to self-destruct and see if your soul can escape through a passage of heavenly law," Yu Banruo said with a laugh.

"Do you know the consequences of insulting a saint?" the Void Saint roared in fury.

"A Saint is nothing but a rat. Back in the day, when Saint Chi Hai wreaked havoc in the Imperial Court, did you truly think that only the Heavenly Emperor could slay a saint? Many are capable of the feat. Today, I'll be the one to end you!" Yu Banruo declared.

With another slash, a golden blade cut through the void. It arced toward the Void Saint with unstoppable force.

"Damn it!" the Void Saint cursed. He raised his palm skyward and unleashed his full power with a furious shout.

With a deafening explosion, the Void Saint's palm strike and the surrounding blue sea were quickly obliterated. The golden blade illuminated the heavens and sliced through the chaos. If not for the Void Saint's quick reflexes, he would have been cleaved in two. Even so, his other arm was severed in the process.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed as the Void Saint, now armless, suffered the invasive corrosion of Yu Banruo's domineering energy. The pain was unbearable.

"A saint isn't special at all. Today, you will die!" Yu Banruo declared, his voice resolute.

With a resounding slash, countless golden blades converged from all directions, cutting off all avenues of retreat for the Void Saint.

"No!" the Void Saint howled in despair.

Regret flooded his mind—why had he come to provoke Xiao Nanfeng? That man was like a plague. Every confrontation left him worse off than before. Had he lost his mind? Even Tang had warned him to stay away. Why hadn't he listened?

As the golden blades tore through his defenses, the Void Saint found himself cornered with no way out.

"Death, grant me your strength. Explode!" the Void Saint roared.

With a thunderous boom, heavenly energy exploded, shattering the void. The golden blades were obliterated by the sheer force of the blast. The shockwave rippled through space, unleashing a tempest that swept across the land. Earth and rocks were flung into the sky, drawing gasps of horror from countless onlookers.

At the center of the explosion, near where the pillar of heavenly law had been, a figure carrying a blue charm of heavenly law attempted to escape into the pillar of heavenly law.

Just then, Yu Banruo emerged unscathed from the flames of the explosion. He closed in swiftly, his golden fist smashing into the pillar of heavenly law, shattering it and forcing the figure to retreat. He seized the blue charm.

The figure cried out, "No! Return my charm of heavenly law to me!"

"Even intact, you were no match for me. What makes you think a mere soul fragment can reclaim this charm? Dream on. It's time for you to die!" Yu Banruo said coldly, throwing a devastating punch at him.

"No!" the Void Saint's remnant soul screamed.

With a deafening explosion, the soul was torn apart. It dissipated into nothingness.

"Even saints will fall at my hand. Now, time to deal with Madam Rouge." Yu Banruo smiled confidently.

"You're here for me? No need. I've come to kill you myself!" a cold voice rang out.

Yu Banruo's hair stood on end as he turned to see a massive fist made of countless peach blossoms tearing through the void toward him.

"What?" Yu Banruo exclaimed, countering with his own punch.

The immense force sent Yu Banruo flying into the sea below.

Though uninjured, he saw Madam Rouge closing in with murderous intent.

"How dare you harm my husband? You'll pay with your life!" Madam Rouge shouted, her fury palpable.

"It's you?" Yu Banruo exclaimed.

Before he could react, Madam Rouge's fist sent him hurtling into the ocean, creating massive waves that shook the seabed and triggered towering tsunamis.

The distant spectators were dumbfounded. While they had anticipated Madam Rouge's return for revenge, they hadn't expected her to arrive quite so quickly.

As Madam Rouge charged into the sea, a golden blade suddenly shot out from below.

"You dare return? I'll kill you!" Yu Banruo roared, slashing upward with his blade.

Madam Rouge's eyes narrowed. With a wave of her hand, a peachwood longsword appeared. She struck downward.

The clash between the two weapons unleashed a massive shockwave that tore apart the void. The golden blade shattered, but the peachwood sword surged into the sea, striking Yu Banruo directly.

Yu Banruo screamed in agony as he was forced deeper into the sea. A gaping wound in his chest bled profusely.

"You've drawn on imperial might?" Yu Banruo exclaimed.

"Die!" Madam Rouge exclaimed, slashing at him once more.

Yu Banruo blanched. He swung his golden blade once more. To unleash even greater power, he stored the charm of heavenly law as he wielded his blade with both hands.

Just then, red light flashed. The charm of heavenly law he was just about to store suddenly disappeared.

"This red light again—Xiao Nanfeng! Return my charm of heavenly law to me!" Yu Banruo roared.

As his attention wavered, Madam Rouge's sword descended. An incredible aura shattered his defenses, piercing his chest with a single thrust.

"Impossible!" Yu Banruo shrieked.

With a resounding crash, he was struck down into the seabed once more. His chest was pierced through, and blood splattered everywhere. The peachwood sword seemed to have embedded itself in his flesh, rendering him immobile.

"Impossible! How could you have breached my Imposing Avatar of Rulai?!" Yu Banruo shouted.

"Nothing is impossible. Now, let calamity descend!" Madam Rouge intoned.

The peachwood sword embedded in Yu Banruo's chest suddenly exploded, unleashing a storm of cursed spiritual power. With a hum, Yu Banruo's chest began transforming into countless peach blossoms, a plague that seemed poised to spread throughout his body.

"No!" Yu Banruo struck at the sword with a palm.

"Die!" Madam Rouge roared.

With a deafening explosion, the sword radiated a brilliant light, rendering Yu Banruo's strike ineffective.

As his chest continued to transform into peach blossoms, Yu Banruo's expression twisted in desperation. He roared, "Mirror Transmutation!"

With a hum, his body rapidly transformed into a crystalline form that resembled a human-shaped mirror, dazzling and resplendent. However, his chest remained filled with countless peach blossoms.

"Shatter!" Yu Banruo bellowed.

With a thunderous explosion, his body shattered into countless golden fragments, scattering into the air.

"Trying to escape? Dream on!" Lady Rouge's eyes burned with fury as she extended her hand.

With a crash, she unleashed a spatial rift. Tremendous suction emerged from within, swallowing all the golden fragments with a deafening roar.

Lady Rouge, holding her peachwood sword, stood aloft in the air, a dark expression on her face.

Calm was slowly restored to the surroundings. Yu Banruo had vanished entirely.

"This can't be real. Did Madam Rouge just kill Yu Banruo?"

"Madam Rouge is truly incredible!"

"Is Yu Banruo really dead?"

The spectacle left countless people gasping in astonishment.

"Your Highness!" In the distance, Yu Banruo's subordinates cried out in alarm.

However, they were also unable to escape their fate. With Yan Zhenhuo's intervention, they were swiftly subdued by Xiao Nanfeng's golden cultivators. Thus, the fierce battle came to an end.

Madam Rouge stood in the air, her face filled with malice as she scanned the surroundings, as if searching for something. After a while, she let out a cold snort and descended. Xiao Nanfeng was waiting for her.

"He got away, but he's severely injured. He won't dare show himself for a while." Madam Rouge exhaled.

"Incredible!" Xiao Nanfeng praised her with a smile.

Madam Rouge sniffed pridefully. "Naturally."

"As always, these charms reject my presence. The more I try to channel from them, the more it starts to crack. You should refine it and take control over the corresponding heavenly domain," Xiao Nanfeng said, handing over the charm of heavenly law.

Madam Rouge frowned at Xiao Nanfeng. "'As always'? What do you mean, 'as always'?"

Xiao Nanfeng blinked, not expecting her to focus on that detail. He wasn't sure how to explain himself.

Madam Rouge's beautiful eyes widened with jealousy. "You've already helped two other women obtain their own charms of heavenly law. Am I third on the pecking order?"

She pursed her lips, hiding a smile. "For that 'as always,' you owe me ten more songs."

Xiao Nanfeng smiled, knowing that she wasn't actually angry. He agreed immediately. "Very well. Twenty songs, just for you."

Before Madam Rouge could get any more upset, Xiao Nanfeng hurriedly continued, "Hold on, Ye Dafu and the others are calling for me. I need to make some arrangements.

"Stop! Don't you run!" Madam Rouge shouted angrily, chasing after him.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

In a dimly lit hall, countless fragments of a golden mirror gathered into the figure of Yu Banruo.

He fell to the ground with a thud, his chest a bloodied mess, a massive hole running through his torso. He was gravely wounded.

He coughed up blood as his face twisted in hatred. "Xiao Nanfeng, Madam Rouge, you despicable couple—I swear I'll make you pay with your lives!"

The news of the battle at Daxi's capital quickly spread across the world, causing an uproar.

Another saint had fallen.

Those who received the news were astonished by Madam Rouge's terrifying strength, while their disdain for the saints grew ever more pronounced.

"Saints are nothing special, after all!" someone muttered.

In another dimly lit hall, the remaining saints had gathered once more. Their faces were filled with unease.

"Madam Rouge and Yu Banruo are both capable of killing us saints. How many more cultivators across the world are capable of such a feat?"

"The world is growing ever more dangerous. One saint has already fallen. A new era of chaos is upon us."

"What should we do now?"

The saints were all restless, all on edge.