novelraw Chapter 154: Smash the Dry and Pull the Rotten
Chapter 154: Smash the Dry and Pull the Rotten
"Assassins!"
"An assassin has infiltrated the Imperial Palace!"
"It is Pavilion Master Wu of the Azure Wave Pavilion!"
For a moment, the numerous Imperial Guards within the Imperial Palace were profoundly shaken, but they did not hesitate to swarm toward Su Yuan's location to encircle and suppress him.
As the elite Imperial Guards, they harbored absolute loyalty to the Dayong Dynasty and were prepared to lay down their lives for the Dayong Emperor at any given moment.
"That Pavilion Master Wu actually dared to sneak into the Imperial Palace?" The twelve Imperial Guard Commanders also received the news.
Several months ago, these twelve commanders had joined forces, utilizing military formation tactics to tangle with Su Yuan for a short while at the inner city gates at the end of Vermilion Bird Avenue.
"We absolutely cannot allow this Pavilion Master Wu to run rampant within the Imperial Palace!"
The twelve Imperial Guard Commanders immediately rushed toward Su Yuan's location.
It was not long ago that the previous Pavilion Master of the Azure Wave Pavilion had infiltrated the Imperial Palace to steal a Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual.If Su Yuan were to succeed now, what would remain of the Dayong Dynasty's majesty?
Inside the Mental Cultivation Hall.
The Dayong Emperor's expression turned icy. He never imagined that Pavilion Master Wu of the Azure Wave Pavilion would actually dare to infiltrate the Imperial Palace.
And to do so without creating any diversions at all?
Even the previous Pavilion Master had the sense to order an attack on the Imperial Palace to draw attention while he sneaked in through the shadows.
But Su Yuan?
He had made no such preparations whatsoever!
Did he look down on the Dayong Dynasty that much?
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. The twelve Imperial Guard Commanders have already hurried over, and tens of thousands of Imperial Guards are closing in. That Pavilion Master Wu will not be able to escape, even if he sprouted wings!"
The old eunuch beside him whispered.
"I naturally know this!"
The Dayong Emperor's expression remained detached. Given Pavilion Master Wu's strength, if he had not been placed on a Red-Tier Wanted Order and had slipped into the Imperial Palace silently,
the Emperor certainly would have been afraid.
After all, Pavilion Master Wu was widely recognized as a Super Grade-1 expert, no inferior to his Uncle Ancestor.
But now?
Under the effects of the Red-Tier Wanted Order, Su Yuan's location was clearly visible to everyone.
Even a Super Grade-1 expert could not possibly withstand a head-on encirclement by tens of thousands of Imperial Guards, alongside twelve Peak First-Rank Imperial Guard Commanders.
Furthermore, his Uncle Ancestor was also residing within the Imperial Palace.
Therefore, in the eyes of the Dayong Emperor, the moment Su Yuan was discovered infiltrating the Imperial Palace, he was as good as dead.
Compared to the orderly response within the Imperial Palace,
the Capital City outside the palace gates was plunged into momentary chaos.
The Red-Tier Wanted Order covered the entire Capital City, so the numerous experts scattered throughout the city also received the news that Pavilion Master Wu of the Azure Wave Pavilion had broken into the Imperial Palace.
"Holy crap, Pavilion Master Wu actually broke into the Imperial Palace."
"No wonder my friend in the Azure Wave Pavilion told me that all of their members had gone to the four main city gates."
"Wait, that's not right. If all the members went to the four city gates, does that mean Pavilion Master Wu infiltrated the Imperial Palace all by himself?"
"I do not think you can call that sneaking into the Imperial Palace. He is on a Red-Tier Wanted Order..."
The numerous Imperial Citizen Players buzzed with lively discussions.
Over the past few months, any Imperial Citizen Player who entered the Shattered Void World found it hard to escape the shadow of Pavilion Master Wu.
One of the only two Super Grade-1 experts in the world?
An entity capable of challenging the Dayong Dynasty single-handedly?
The master of the Azure Wave Pavilion, the largest Player faction?
With so many halos crowning him, there was not a single Imperial Citizen Player who did not pay attention to Su Yuan.
"Pavilion Master Wu is in deep trouble now."
"Marked by a Red-Tier Wanted Order and trapped inside the Imperial Palace, I am afraid even Pavilion Master Wu will not be able to escape death."
"Pavilion Master Wu was too careless. As the Lord of the Azure Wave Pavilion, he actually sent all his subordinates to the four city gates?"
As the Imperial Citizen Players conversed, the vast majority were not optimistic about Su Yuan's chances. After all, that was the Imperial Palace.
So what if he was a Super Grade-1?
It was not as if the Imperial Palace lacked a Super Grade-1 expert of its own.
Inside the Imperial Palace.
Massive waves of Imperial Guards surged forward to surround and kill him.
Wielding his silver spear, Su Yuan swept it in a wide arc.
Terrifying power erupted, complemented by an invisible spiritual force that cast a sweeping shroud over the area.
The large swarm of advancing Imperial Guards instantly swayed unsteadily on their feet, and were subsequently sent flying with severe injuries under the sweep of the silver spear.
Right at this moment—
Twelve obscure auras suddenly erupted, swiftly merging into one to form an incredibly terrifying presence that rapidly closed in on Su Yuan.
It was the twelve Imperial Guard Commanders utilizing their military formation techniques.
Every single one of the twelve Imperial Guard Commanders was at the Peak First-Rank. However, upon activating the military formation, they could merge their minds and strength into a unified whole, unleashing power that bordered on the Super Grade-1 level.
"The Commanders have arrived!"
The appearance of the twelve Imperial Guard Commanders instantly revitalized the morale of the surrounding Imperial Guards.
Several months ago, these twelve commanders had tangled with Su Yuan for a very long time at the end of Vermilion Bird Avenue.
"Pavilion Master Wu, go to hell."
The twelve Imperial Guard Commanders emerged from all directions around Su Yuan, then launched their attacks simultaneously. Empowered by the military formation, all their strikes blended together as if executed by a single entity.
'The Commanders are even stronger than before.'
The Imperial Guards who had reached the First-Rank level marveled inwardly. It was obvious that after their last encounter with Su Yuan, the twelve Imperial Guard Commanders had returned to summarize their lessons, drawing out even more might from the military formation techniques.
"Squelch—"
Su Yuan thrust his spear forward, piercing straight through the skull of one of the Imperial Guard Commanders. With the twelve commanders now short by one, the military formation collapsed on its own, and the remaining eleven commanders violently retreated.
"What?"
The eleven commanders' eyes widened in disbelief. When the twelve of them operated the military formation, their auras merged into one. Attacking any one of them was equivalent to attacking all twelve; this was the greatest strength of the formation.
Yet Su Yuan had slain one of their Imperial Guard Commanders so effortlessly?
'How is he this strong?'
After the eleven Imperial Guard Commanders snapped back to reality, they could not stop their hearts from trembling. They had clearly sensed the drastic change in Su Yuan's strength compared to their previous encounter.
A few months ago, they could barely hold their ground against Su Yuan.
But now? With a mere raise of his hand, Su Yuan shattered their military formation and killed a commander.
This level of strength was overwhelmingly greater than it had been months ago.
"Too weak."
Su Yuan retracted his spear, casting a brief glance at the fallen Imperial Guard Commander.
The last time he fought the twelve Imperial Guard Commanders, his Combat Bonus had just broken past one hundred and eighty times, placing him at the beginner level of Super Grade-1.
Although he could perceive the formation's weaknesses through the gray mirror and subsequently break it, he had still needed dozens of exchanges to accomplish the feat.
But today? Su Yuan's Combat Bonus exceeded two hundred and ninety times. He was on an entirely different plane compared to a few months ago. To shatter the twelve commanders' military formation, he did not even need to consult the gray mirror; he could do it with a flick of his wrist.
When there is an astronomical gap in raw power, all techniques and tricks become meaningless.
Given Su Yuan's current strength, the only strategy in the Shattered Void World capable of killing him was the human wave tactic.
Only by employing an overwhelming sea of people to completely drain Su Yuan's stamina and endurance could there be any hope of grinding him down to his death.
Before his stamina and endurance were depleted, Su Yuan was invincible.
This was also the very reason Su Yuan ordered all members of the Azure Wave Pavilion to guard the four main city gates, blocking the millions of troops outside the city from marching in.
"Everyone, attack together!"
The remaining eleven Imperial Guard Commanders issued the order, biting the bullet as the eleven of them quickly formed another military formation.
However, compared to the twelve-man formation, the eleven-man version was noticeably weaker.
"Grind him down to death!"
The eleven Imperial Guard Commanders did not dare to clash with Su Yuan head-on. They could only harass him from the periphery, forcing the hordes of Imperial Guards to bear the brunt and exhaust Su Yuan's stamina.
"So noisy!"
Su Yuan took a single stride forward, his figure moving like a phantom as he materialized before one of the Imperial Guard Commanders, instantly thrusting his spear.
The second Imperial Guard Commander, dead!
Under the command of the Imperial Guard Commanders, all the regular guards fought as if they had found their backbone, which genuinely served to whittle away at Su Yuan's stamina.
Therefore, the Imperial Guard Commanders had to die first.
"How is this possible?" The second Imperial Guard Commander stared down at the spear impaling his chest. He had been so careful, hiding among the throng of Imperial Guards while backed by the power of the eleven-man military formation. He never expected that, in the face of Su Yuan's killing intent, he would still lack even a shred of resistance.
Squelch!
Su Yuan yanked out his spear and continued his slaughter toward the remaining Imperial Guard Commanders.
Inside the Mental Cultivation Hall.
The Dayong Emperor's gaze was dark and frigid as he declared, "I want to keep Pavilion Master Wu's corpse intact. I will have him flayed, stuffed with straw, and hung beneath the city gates to strike terror into all the Outlanders of the world..."
In recent months, the number of Outlanders had surged dramatically once more. With Su Yuan taking the lead, it seemed these Outlanders held very little reverence for the Dayong Dynasty.
And this time, the Dayong Emperor decided to use Su Yuan's corpse to show the Outlanders of the world exactly what happened when they opposed the Dayong Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
"Terrible news."
Suddenly, an Imperial Guard rushed in with a panicked expression to deliver a report.
"What terrible news?" The Dayong Emperor frowned.
"Commander Ruan An is dead." The guard's face was deathly pale.
"Ruan An is dead?" The Dayong Emperor's expression drastically shifted.
Ruan An was one of the twelve Imperial Guard Commanders and his trusted confidant.
"Ruan An is dead? Did he not guarantee to me that if he encountered that Pavilion Master Wu again, he would definitely..."
The Dayong Emperor looked deeply disturbed.
But before he could even finish his sentence.
Another Imperial Guard frantically sprinted into the hall.
"Your Majesty, Commander Zhou Xiong is dead."
"Your Majesty, Commander Zhao Qin is dead."
In the span of just a few dozen breaths.
The news of all twelve Imperial Guard Commanders dying one after another poured in.
This caused the Dayong Emperor's expression to contort wildly.
If only a single Imperial Guard Commander had died, the Dayong Emperor would merely be furious.
But for all twelve Imperial Guard Commanders to die? The only emotion left in the Dayong Emperor's heart was stark terror.
What did this mean?
It meant that the Imperial Guards within the Imperial Palace could not stop Pavilion Master Wu at all. With the twelve commanders dead, that Pavilion Master Wu would act with even greater impunity.
"How could this be?"
The Dayong Emperor found it impossible to believe. Just a few months ago, hadn't that Pavilion Master Wu fought back and forth evenly against the twelve Imperial Guard Commanders?
How could so little time have passed, yet now he slaughtered Imperial Guard Commanders as easily as slaughtering chickens?
"Uncle Ancestor, where is Uncle Ancestor?"
The Dayong Emperor steadied himself, barely managing to suppress his turbulent emotions, and looked at the old eunuch beside him.
"Your Majesty, the Ancestor is currently guarding the Ancestral Temple."
The old eunuch answered hastily, his own heart pounding with anxiety.
"The Ancestral Temple!"
The Dayong Emperor immediately understood his Uncle Ancestor's reasoning.
Pavilion Master Wu of the Azure Wave Pavilion had broken into the Imperial Palace completely alone, without making any tactical arrangements.
His Uncle Ancestor had every right to suspect that Pavilion Master Wu might just be a decoy explicitly meant to lure him away.
Could someone else be the true thief attempting to steal the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual?
Was this all just Pavilion Master Wu's ploy to lure the tiger away from its mountain?
Because of this, his Uncle Ancestor had not immediately rushed out to encircle and slay Pavilion Master Wu, choosing instead to stand guard inside the Ancestral Temple.
Ever since the incident where the previous Pavilion Master of the Azure Wave Pavilion infiltrated the Imperial Palace to steal a Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual,
all nine of the Imperial Palace's Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manuals had been relocated to the Ancestral Temple, where they were personally guarded by the Super Grade-1 Uncle Ancestor.
"Where is that Pavilion Master Wu right now?"
The Dayong Emperor took a deep breath and demanded.
"He is currently slaughtering his way toward the Ancestral Temple..."
The Imperial Guard who gave the final report spoke with a trembling voice.
The deaths of the twelve Imperial Guard Commanders had thrown the Imperial Guards' formations into total disarray. Even by piling up bodies, they were utterly unable to impede Su Yuan's advance.
"The Ancestral Temple..."
The Dayong Emperor's face was etched with terror. "Uncle Ancestor..."
The Dayong Emperor stared in the direction of the Ancestral Temple. If this had been any day prior to today, he would have harbored absolute confidence in his Uncle Ancestor. Supported by the multitudes of Imperial Guards within the Imperial Palace? Anyone who dared invade would die.
But today?
The Dayong Emperor's heart plummeted into a pit of profound doubt.
Could his Super Grade-1 Uncle Ancestor truly stop that Pavilion Master Wu?
Outside the Imperial Palace.
Many Imperial Citizen Players had already gathered around.
"How long do you guys think Pavilion Master Wu can hold out?"
"At least half an hour. With Pavilion Master Wu's strength, if the Dayong Imperial Palace wishes to suppress and kill him quickly, they will inevitably have to pay a catastrophic price. Perhaps a few dead Imperial Guard Commanders? Or maybe their Super Grade-1 expert will be severely wounded?"
"Half an hour? Aren't you underestimating Pavilion Master Wu a little? He is one of the only two Super Grade-1 experts in the world after all..."
"It all depends on what the Dayong Emperor decides. Regardless, I completely fail to understand Pavilion Master Wu's scheme. Did he honestly think he could sneak in there without anyone noticing?"
The crowds of Imperial Citizens were simply watching the show. To witness the illustrious Pavilion Master Wu suffer a setback was considered quite a fortunate spectacle.
However.
As time trickled by.
The expressions of the spectating Imperial Citizen Players gradually morphed.
Because Su Yuan was marked by a Red-Tier Wanted Order, any powerhouse within the Capital City could see his exact location.
They could even tell whether Su Yuan was dead or alive.
The moment he died, the Red-Tier Wanted Order would be canceled.
Yet, in the vision of all the Imperial Citizen Players, the red dot representing Su Yuan's location deep inside the Imperial Palace had not vanished.
On the contrary, it was carving a path of slaughter toward the depths of the Imperial Palace at an utterly terrifying speed.
Although the various Imperial Citizen Players were unaware that all twelve Imperial Guard Commanders had already perished at Su Yuan's hands,
watching the sheer speed at which Su Yuan was penetrating the Imperial Palace made them realize something: the Imperial Guards stationed inside were likely failing spectacularly at blocking Pavilion Master Wu.
"Holy fuck, what is going on?"
"Is Pavilion Master Wu... has he gone absolutely berserk inside the Imperial Palace?"
The Imperial Citizen Players were shaken to their cores.
Deep inside the Imperial Palace.
Blood and severed limbs littered every corner.
Su Yuan stood clutching his silver spear. The Imperial Guards surrounding him from all sides trembled violently, not a single one daring to step forward.
Even though the Imperial Guards were fiercely loyal to the Dayong Dynasty and willing to die for it, they were still human. They knew fear. If their deaths could ensure mutual destruction with the enemy,
they would naturally muster the courage to do so.
But was mutual destruction with Su Yuan actually possible?
Along this bloody path, countless Imperial Guards had died by Su Yuan's hands.
Yet their opponent still wore an entirely placid expression, and the speed of his deadly advance had not slowed in the slightest.
"Here we are."
Su Yuan completely ignored the thoughts of the surrounding Imperial Guards and instead gazed into the near distance.
There, a magnificently imposing temple came into view. It was none other than the Ancestral Temple of the Dayong Dynasty, where the ancestral emperors of Dayong were enshrined.
And the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual that Su Yuan desired so intensely lay right inside.