The assassin leader's exposed skin was as red as a boiled crab, as if it were about to burst into flames at any moment.
The battle had reached its climax, but Ling Muxue did not fight head-on, instead focusing her "domain" on restraint.
Aside from keeping a watchful eye on the direction of the imperial heir, their main focus was on maneuvering and resisting.
It's almost over. The opponent is using a third-rank weapon to fight against a second-rank weapon, burning his life force to boost his combat power, and he's already showing signs of exhaustion.
The more this happened, the more cautious she became, lest the other party launch a counterattack before dying.
At that moment, Ling Muxue's expression suddenly changed.
She suddenly sensed two incredibly powerful auras approaching the palace at an alarming speed.
Both are at the second rank, two people!
not good!
Ling Muxue was startled and, disregarding everything else, instantly compressed her "domain" to its limit.
Suddenly struck by the attack, the assassin leader froze in mid-air.
His life force was already as fragile as a candle in the wind, and now it couldn't keep up with Ling Muxue's sudden burst of speed, leaving an extremely small opening.
For experts of their caliber, even the slightest flaw can mean the difference between life and death.
The next moment, his skin cracked inch by inch.
Ling Muxue swung her sword only once, yet it seemed to conjure a thousand or ten thousand swords, the sword light flowing like mercury across the ground, penetrating everywhere.
The assassin leader's body disintegrated with a bang, turning into a pool of indistinct flesh and blood, utterly dead.
Ling Muxue's chest heaved violently; the outburst just now had taken a toll on her.
But she didn't have time to catch her breath. She immediately raised her sword and held it horizontally in front of her, her gaze as cold as ice, staring intently at the outside of the hall.
Two figures darted to the front of the hall like ghosts!
...
Outside the Imperial Study, the stench of blood was so strong it was almost tangible.
Qu Heng's team was almost completely wiped out, their corpses lying on the cold floor tiles, with blood flowing in a winding stream.
The last remaining third-rank expert, who was still struggling, finally ran out of energy and died.
Each clash with Panyue produced a dull, thunderous roar.
The surge of true energy caused dust to fall from the beams and pillars of the imperial study.
Pan Yue stood firm and unmoving like a mountain, and the "power" he released was extremely heavy.
It felt as if the weight of a mountain had been placed upon the enemy's spine, making it difficult to breathe and slowing their movements. Thud!
It was another straightforward, head-on clash, and the third-rank expert could no longer sustain the fight.
Pan Yue didn't stop for a moment. An invisible, heavy palm slammed him hard onto the ground, and the gold brick instantly cracked with spiderweb-like patterns.
Immediately afterwards, a sickeningly clear sound of bones breaking rang out.
The enemy's spine was completely crushed by the terrifying force, and his whole body collapsed like a snake with its bones removed, no longer capable of stirring up any trouble.
That man was incredibly tough; a final, resolute glint flashed in his eyes as he fell.
With sheer willpower, he squeezed out the last trace of true energy from his dantian and, without hesitation, surged it back into his heart meridian.
With a soft "poof," his internal organs shattered, his eyes quickly dimmed, and he died on the spot.
Pan Yue shattered his spine but did not immediately kill him, intending to capture him alive for interrogation.
Unexpectedly, a powerful expert at the Divine Martial Realm was able to so decisively cut off his own chance of survival.
In the blink of an eye, only Qu Heng remained in the arena, his companions' corpses lying at his feet, making him appear exceptionally frail.
His face showed no trace of grief or fear, only a stagnant silence.
Unlike the veterans of the Zhaoyi Army who gathered around Li E out of gratitude and loyalty, most of these people were assassins he secretly trained after leaving the northern border.
The third-rank expert came from the mysterious Tongji Society. There was no deep friendship between them; it was merely a cooperative partnership based on shared interests.
At this moment, before him stood the unfathomable Xuanji Guards, and all around him were layers upon layers of Qingluan Guards with gleaming blades.
A fourth-grade cultivator is as insignificant as an ant in the face of such a display.
Qu Heng never harbored any illusions.
With just a third-grade cultivator, he thinks he can storm the palace and assassinate the reigning empress? That's an utter joke.
His gaze pierced through the obstacles, fixed firmly on the bright yellow figure atop the imperial steps.
That was the pinnacle of the Great Gan Dynasty's power, and also the end point of all his actions today.
Qu Heng slowly raised the sword in his hand, his movements slow and solemn.
The blade gleamed with a cold, sharp light; it was the standard-issue battle sword of the Zhaoyi Army, the only thing he had taken from the northern border years ago.
“Your Majesty,” his voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally clear, piercing through the stagnant air.
"This is wrong!"
The next moment, he moved.
His figure shot off like an arrow, rushing towards the high steps of the Imperial Study.
At the same time, he used all his strength to swing the knife in his hand.
when!
The blade did not touch any physical object; it struck an invisible yet indestructible thick rock wall while still some distance from the Imperial Rank.
The battle sword let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain and shattered into pieces!
Qu Heng was struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, and was sent flying backward at an even faster speed than when he went there.
It slammed heavily onto the cold ground with a dull thud.
"puff……"
Blood gushed out in mid-air, and upon landing, it splattered into a pool of glaring crimson.
With just one move, he was utterly defeated before he could even get within ten steps of the Imperial Rank, as if his internal organs had shifted and shattered.
Lying there, he couldn't get up again no matter how hard he tried.
He was breathing heavily, each breath laced with blood and foam, and his vision began to blur.
In the end, he gave up and could only stare blankly at the towering dome of the Imperial Study.
The sky above the palace was divided into sections by magnificent coffered ceilings and wooden beams.
It doesn't seem as high and free as the wilderness of the North.
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