novelraw Chapter 141: One Man Blocks the Path, Ten Thousand Halt
Chapter 141: One Man Blocks the Path, Ten Thousand Halt
"Five Elements Power."
Su Yuan's mind raced, and simultaneously he asked the gray mirror deep within his sea of consciousness, "What is the latest comprehension progress of the Five Elements Power?"
The gray mirror's surface rippled hazily, providing an answer.
[Metal Element Power: 62%]
[Wood Element Power: 60%]
[Water Element Power: 61%]
[Fire Element Power: 69%]
[Earth Element Power: 60%]
Looking at his degree of comprehension of the Five Elements Power, Su Yuan nodded slightly.
The comprehension of the Fire Element Power was the highest because it shared certain commonalities with the Power of Extreme Yang.'According to the cultivation plan, once the comprehension of the Five Elements Power reaches ninety-five percent across the board, directly viewing a Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual will allow me to fully comprehend these five Cosmic Forces,'
Su Yuan thought to himself.
For any type of Cosmic Force, whether it was the power of Yin and Yang or the Five Elements Power, progress would slow to a crawl once comprehension reached ninety percent.
After his comprehension of the Power of Extreme Yang and the Power of Extreme Yin had reached ninety percent, Su Yuan had been stalled for several months.
However, with the help of a Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual, this process could be drastically shortened.
This was also why Su Yuan was confident he could fully comprehend the five Cosmic Forces within half a year.
'A Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual...'
Su Yuan turned his gaze toward the Dayong Dynasty's Imperial Palace.
Compared to a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual, the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manuals in the Broken Void World had numerous restrictions.
First of all, they could not be traded.
A Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual could be traded or even gifted, but not a Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual. Whoever obtained it, owned it.
This was exactly why the Pavilion Master of Azure Wave Pavilion had personally sneaked into the Imperial Palace.
Secondly, any Imperial Citizen Player could only obtain a single Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual.
This "one manual only" rule was bound to the player's account. Even if they died and re-entered the Broken Void World, the restriction remained.
Once someone acquired one Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual, they could never obtain a second one, no matter what methods they used.
Because of this, Su Yuan had no designs on the specific Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual that the Azure Wave Pavilion Master had targeted.
There were ten Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manuals hidden within the Imperial Palace, and each provided different comprehension effects. Su Yuan's goal was undoubtedly the manual that offered the absolute best results.
'Going by the time, the Pavilion Master's operation should be starting right about now,'
Su Yuan stood up, left the cultivation room, and stepped onto the city wall, gazing into the distance at the Dayong Dynasty's Imperial Palace.
Whoosh!
Almost at that exact moment, over two hundred Second-Rank Masters emerged from various areas outside the Imperial Palace. Without any warning, they charged into the palace grounds and launched an assault on the Imperial Guard.
In the Broken Void World, a Second-Rank Master boasted a Combat Bonus of at least thirty times. Even when surrounded and besieged by an army of thousands, they could still fight back fiercely. With two hundred Second-Rank Masters striking simultaneously in a surprise attack, the Imperial Guard on the palace perimeter were nearly slaughtered outright.
Swish! While the Imperial Palace descended into complete chaos, the Azure Wave Pavilion Master led several First-Rank Masters and slipped inside without a sound.
The plan proceeded smoothly. The desperate, all-out assault from the two hundred Second-Rank Masters outside drew away ninety percent of the palace's forces, leaving the interior entirely empty. The Azure Wave Pavilion Master and his group quickly reached their destination.
It was a Secluded Palace located in a remote corner, with several elderly eunuchs standing guard at the doors.
"Kill them and force our way in!"
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master no longer bothered to hide his presence.
Now that the majority of the palace's experts had been lured away, this was the moment when the Secluded Palace's defenses were at their absolute weakest.
"How audacious!"
"You dare sneak into the forbidden grounds of the Imperial Palace?!"
Upon noticing the Azure Wave Pavilion Master and his group, the seemingly frail and elderly eunuchs suddenly erupted with terrifying auras. Shockingly, every single one of them was a First-Rank Master.
"Kill!"
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master did not hesitate for a second, and a bloody battle instantly broke out between the two sides.
Several minutes later.
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master panted heavily, gasping for air.
At the cost of one of their First-Rank Master companions dying, the Azure Wave Pavilion Master and the others had finally dispatched the elderly eunuchs.
In truth, with the Azure Wave Pavilion Master's strength, if they had taken their time to slowly surround and whittle them down, those First-Rank elderly eunuchs would have inevitably died. However, that would have wasted far too much time.
Thus, they resorted to life-risking techniques, seeking to resolve everything in the shortest time possible.
"Go in."
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master immediately dashed into the palace.
A short while later, he emerged.
Tucked into his robes was a newly acquired, golden-hued Martial Arts Manual.
But before the Azure Wave Pavilion Master and his group could evacuate.
"Audacious madmen, how dare you..." An ancient eunuch appeared in the distance. His movements were like a phantom, and wherever he passed, his psychic power permeated the air, faintly causing the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees.
"A Peak First-Rank?"
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master's expression turned grave.
The depths of the Dayong Dynasty's Imperial Palace were truly unfathomable.
"I will hold him off."
Beside the Azure Wave Pavilion Master, a First-Rank Master stepped forward and charged at the Peak First-Rank elderly eunuch.
Right now, the Azure Wave Pavilion Master's top priority was to escape the Imperial Palace and the Capital City as quickly as possible.
He absolutely could not afford to be delayed by anyone.
"Alright."
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master nodded and sprinted directly toward the palace exits.
Along the way, they continuously encountered First-Rank Masters trying to block their path, but these interceptors were all held back by the remaining First-Rank Masters escorting the Pavilion Master.
Over ten minutes later.
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master finally escaped the Imperial Palace. However, by this point, only two First-Rank Masters remained by his side.
The very instant the Azure Wave Pavilion Master stepped foot outside the palace grounds.
Beep—
A game system notification rang out.
"You have been placed on the Dayong Dynasty's Red-Tier Wanted Order. All powerful individuals within the limits of the Capital City will be notified and provided with your exact coordinates. Any expert who slays you will receive a reward—"
"The right to freely select ten Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals from the Dayong Dynasty's National Treasury, along with five thousand kilograms of gold."
'Fuck!' the Azure Wave Pavilion Master cursed inwardly.
Although he had long anticipated that breaking into the Imperial Palace would land him on the Dayong Dynasty's wanted list.
He never expected it to happen this fast.
And the wanted order would actually alert every other expert in the Capital City and broadcast his exact location?
How could anyone even play under these conditions?
One had to remember that the experts here weren't just Native Residents; there were also numerous Imperial Citizen Players.
"A Red-Tier Wanted Order? Killing the target grants the right to freely select ten Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals from the Dayong Dynasty's National Treasury, plus five thousand kilograms of gold..."
On the other side of the Capital City, an Imperial Citizen Player at the peak of the Middle Realm looked at the game notification, a smile forming on his face. "Well then. I've been playing for so long and haven't had a chance to flex my muscles yet. Let's see what this is all about today."
With that thought, this Peak Middle-Realm Imperial Citizen Player darted toward the Azure Wave Pavilion Master's location.
Right now, in his field of vision, the Azure Wave Pavilion Master's coordinates glowed as brightly as a blazing bonfire in the pitch black of night, extraordinarily conspicuous.
"The Dayong Dynasty's Red-Tier Wanted Order? It's been decades since one of these was last issued, right? Selecting Martial Arts Manuals directly from the National Treasury..."
A vicious smile crept onto the face of a Peak First-Rank Native Resident expert, and he too shot rapidly toward the Azure Wave Pavilion Master's position.
"Go, we need to leave at top speed."
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master's expression was incredibly ugly. After learning the effects of the Red-Tier Wanted Order, he knew his chances of successfully escaping with the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual had plummeted drastically.
But no matter how slim those chances were, he still had to try.
"Vermilion Bird Street."
Instinctively, the Azure Wave Pavilion Master fled in the direction of Vermilion Bird Street.
"Benefactor, please halt your steps," an approaching Wandering Monk called out softly.
"Pavilion Master, you go first. I'll hold him back." From beside the Pavilion Master, one of the two remaining First-Rank Masters stepped forward.
He instantly engaged the Wandering Monk in a bloody clash.
"Let's go."
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master did not hesitate.
The First-Rank companions who had sneaked into the Imperial Palace with him this time were all Imperial Citizen Players. Even if they died here, it would have no impact on them in reality.
Whoosh!
Very quickly.
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master and his sole remaining First-Rank Master escort arrived at Vermilion Bird Street.
"Pavilion Master."
From beside the inner city gate of Vermilion Bird Street, Su Yuan stepped out, a silver long spear resting in his grasp.
"Guest Elder Wu, the plan..."
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master wore a heavy expression and was just about to speak.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! A massive swarm of figures rapidly closed in from behind. These figures were almost exclusively Top Three Ranks experts—a mix of Native Resident powerhouses and Imperial Citizen Players. All of them had tracked the Azure Wave Pavilion Master's coordinates through the Red-Tier Wanted Order and had come to hunt him down.
"Pavilion Master, you go first. I'll hold them off,"
Su Yuan said in a calm tone, looking at the hundreds of powerful experts rapidly bearing down on them.
And the number of these hundreds of Top Three Ranks experts was still surging. Just how many Top Three Ranks Masters were there in the entire Capital City?
On top of that, a massive wave of Imperial Guards was also closing in.
"Alright."
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master steadied his nerves and immediately sprinted out through the inner city gates.
As he burst out of the inner city, the Azure Wave Pavilion Master glanced back at Su Yuan.
Compared to the densely packed pursuers exuding terrifying auras, Su Yuan's lone figure—one man, one spear blocking the gateway—seemed exceptionally frail and isolated.
But this was no time to dwell on such things. Right now, what the Azure Wave Pavilion Master needed to do above all else was escape the Capital City.
As long as he left the Capital City, the tracking effect of the Red-Tier Wanted Order would vanish.
Su Yuan stood tall, resting his spear against the ground in the exact center of the inner city gate. He cast a sideways glance at the fleeing Azure Wave Pavilion Master and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
Having the Azure Wave Pavilion Master hovering nearby was of zero use to him; in fact, it only hindered his ability to fight freely.
Rumble! Hundreds—then thousands—of pursuers surged closer. At the very front were three Peak First-Rank experts. They swept a dismissive glance over Su Yuan, paying him absolutely no mind.
"Get the hell out of the way, kid."
"Scram, or you die!"
The leading Peak First-Rank Masters didn't hesitate in the slightest. They charged straight at Su Yuan with their weapons raised and ready, intending to crush him like an insect as they passed through the inner city gate.
"The Gang Leader..."
Up on the city walls, Mad Saber Qin Mo and numerous other Third-Rank Masters felt their hearts leap into their throats.
They actually wanted to go down and help Su Yuan hold off the pursuers. As Imperial Citizen Players, dying in the game was no big deal.
However, Su Yuan had ordered them to just watch from the walls and not intervene.
At the inner city gate, Su Yuan stood firm with his spear, watching the horde of experts rapidly approaching.
Right as the leading Peak First-Rank Masters entered a ten-meter radius, Su Yuan gripped his silver long spear and swung it lightly in a forward arc.
Rumble! The silver long spear seemed to tear the very air apart, sweeping out horizontally like a magnificent silver dragon. The expressions of the Peak First-Rank Masters charging at the front changed drastically. They desperately tried to retreat, but it was already too late.
Crack—!
As the silver spear swept through, the leading Peak First-Rank Masters, along with over a dozen other First-Rank experts, were all cleanly sliced in half at the waist. Their severed bodies were sent flying in all directions, splattering the ground with a torrential rain of blood.
At the same time.
Su Yuan pulled back the sweeping silver long spear, carving a deep, long trench into the ground that formed a hard line between the inner city gates and the legions of pursuing experts.
"Cross this line, and you die!"