SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Several streaks of light tore through the silent night sky, descending upon Nie Yun’s courtyard. A dozen figures strode in.

"Nie Yun! Hand over the Qianqing Sect traitor, Baihua Xiu, right now! Otherwise, today will be your last. The Divine Wind Empire will have a new ruler, and everyone here will die!"

As the group entered the courtyard, His Majesty Xuan Cheng of the Divine Feather Empire let out a bellow, his tone dripping with arrogance.

He had lost face at the banquet, and now, with so many experts backing him up, it was the perfect chance to flaunt his power and redeem himself.

"I was wondering who it was. So, it’s you, Senior Brother Lin Cann. Master has already forgiven me. By what right do you come to capture me today?"

The door opened with a CREAK. Baihua Xiu walked out slowly, with Mu Qing and Mu Xia following close behind her.

"By what right? Hmph! By the fact that you are a traitor to our sect—one that anyone would be justified in killing! Cripple your Cultivation at once and marry His Majesty Huangg Ling as his concubine. Do that, and you might be forgiven. Otherwise, every single person in this courtyard will die today!"

Lin Cann stood with his hands clasped behind his back, radiating an air of condescending superiority, as if he would strike and kill them all if Baihua Xiu refused his terms.

"Every single one of us will die? Careful you don’t bite your tongue with all that big talk," Mu Xia sneered.

"You insolent creature! Who gave you the right to interrupt while we’re speaking? Xu’an, rip this woman’s mouth to shreds. Cut out her tongue so she can never speak again!"

Lin Cann ordered, turning his head.

"Yes!"

Xu’an, ranked seventh on the Secret Realm Potential List and standing behind Lin Cann, strode forward. He glanced at Mu Xia, his eyes gleaming. "My, you’re quite a beauty. Come here, call me your ’dear brother,’ and I’ll take good care of you. I could even put in a good word for you with my senior brother!"

"What are you waiting for, little lady? Countless beauties in the Imperial Capital would kill for the chance to be favored by Lord Xu’an. An opportunity like this is a blessing you couldn’t earn in a dozen lifetimes!" King Huainan added with a laugh.

Anyone from the Imperial Capital knew that this Xu’an was not only powerful but also notoriously licentious, once setting a record of sleeping with ten women in a single night. Many from the Royal Family and Nobility, eager to curry favor with this expert from the Secret Realm Potential List, were even willing to offer up their own daughters to him.

"That’s right. I won’t kill a beauty like you. I’ll just take very good care of you, so good you’ll be begging for more, and you’ll willingly serve me for the rest of your life. Haha!" Xu’an’s eyes glinted with a lecherous light.

"Shameless! Die!"

Hearing their vulgar words, Mu Xia’s face flushed crimson. With a sharp cry, she drew the sword from her back and lunged forward.

SLASH!

At the same instant, Mu Qing also slashed out with her sword.

Their coordination was seamless, their minds in perfect sync, moving as one. Sword Auras radiated from their blades, instantly forming a net of light that enveloped Xu’an.

"Hm? What is this Swordsmanship?"

Seeing them attack in unison with such strange techniques, Xu’an’s lecherous expression gave way to a solemn one. He made a series of grasping motions with his fingers, and a dome of blood-red Qi formed over his palm.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The three clashed and retreated in a flash. The invisible shockwaves tore through the air like blades, leveling the surrounding buildings and turning them to dust.

"This... What kind of weapons are those? They’re definitely beyond the Royal Family’s Top Grade!"

"They’re Spiritual Soldiers, which only a Secret Realm Powerhouse can forge! How do they have Spiritual Soldiers? And one each... no, wait, look at what they’re wearing! It’s Spirit Armor!"

"Spirit Armor and Spiritual Soldiers... I get it! No wonder such powerful experts appeared in a backwater place like the Divine Wind Empire. They must have uncovered some secret treasure trove and received an unparalleled boon!"

"If we kill them, those Spiritual Soldiers will be ours! If I get my hands on one, my power will easily double!"

Seeing the weapons the two women wielded, the eyes of every onlooker filled with intense greed.

Weapons were divided into Ordinary and Spiritual Soldiers. Ordinary weapons were graded into five tiers: Emperor, King, Marquis, Noble, and Mortal. Even though these men were rulers of nations, they only used Royal Family’s Top-Grade Weapons. They had only heard of Spiritual Soldiers, never having seen one, which was a testament to how precious they were.

How could anyone not be envious? These two women possessed not only such precious weapons but a full set for both offense and Defense.

Even the lowest-grade Spiritual Soldier could double a person’s strength. If a Celestial List Powerhouse were to obtain one, they could easily go toe-to-toe with one of the Potential List Powerhouses!

’So many Spiritual Soldiers, and I don’t even have one!’

It wasn’t just the various Emperors who were filled with envy. Even the expressions of Lin Cann and King Huainan flickered with excitement.

Only a Secret Realm Powerhouse could forge a Spiritual Soldier. The old ancestor of the Divine Holy Empire and the Sect Leader of the Qianqing Sect would have given any such weapons to their most beloved descendants or closest confidants. Though men like Lin Cann and Xu’an were famous on the Secret Realm Potential List, not one of them had managed to acquire a Spiritual Soldier for themselves.

"You think you can beat me just by relying on your Spiritual Soldiers? Dream on! Desert Solitary Smoke Fist!"

Xu’an could feel the surrounding Sword Auras growing ever sharper. He knew that if he didn’t get serious, he might just die here today. With a great roar, he clenched both fists and launched himself into the air, striking out.

He unleashed both fists at once, sending out two violent torrents of fist energy. Just like the name of his technique, they shot forward like pillars of solitary smoke in a vast desert—straight, direct, and without any flourish.

’This is bad!’

Seeing the immense power behind those two fists, Baihua Xiu knew Mu Qing and Mu Xia couldn’t possibly block them alone. She flipped her palms and rushed forward to meet the attack as well.

BOOM!

The two fists collided with the attacks of the three women, who were sent stumbling backward, their faces paling.

Although they had improved greatly and were armed with powerful blades, they had advanced in their Cultivation far too quickly. Their power hadn’t had time to settle, and they still lacked refinement in its application. Even with the three of them combined, they were at a disadvantage against Xu’an’s ultimate technique.

However, Xu’an hadn’t come out unscathed. His arms had been pierced by the women’s Sword Auras, revealing the bone beneath, and his blood pooled on the ground.