The killing intent emanating from the Ming Yu Sword was almost tangible, making it impossible for even a Level Nine Battle Master like Stanley to evade the Seventh Prince. The Prince leaped high into the air, only to crash down onto the ground. Chen Feng showed no hesitation; his sword moved like flowing water, cleaving directly toward the Prince’s head.

“Is that… a Divine Artifact…” A faint, aged voice trembled out, immediately followed by an invisible wave of light that flowed like water, surrounding the Seventh Prince.

However, the voice was too weak, and Chen Feng did not hear it.

“Buzz…”

The Ming Yu Sword vibrated intensely. Under the influence of the light wave, the sword abruptly halted less than five meters from the Seventh Prince, unable to advance an inch further. The Ming Yu Sword had always been invincible; why had it suddenly stopped?

Chen Feng was startled but couldn't dwell on it. He retracted the Ming Yu Sword, lifted his right leg, and delivered a savage kick toward the fallen Seventh Prince. As the kick connected, the strange light wave vanished from the opponent’s body. With a thump, it struck the chest squarely. The Prince was instantly sent flying like a human sandbag, crashing into a guard who was rushing forward.

Crack, crack… Several sharp snaps followed. The momentum of the collision caused several ribs on the unfortunate guard to break, instantly crushing his internal organs. Blood sprayed from his mouth and nose; he was clearly beyond saving.

The Seventh Prince was also badly wounded by the initial sword strike, but his Dragon Armor mitigated major damage. He was merely ravaged by the killing will of the Ming Yu Sword, foaming at the mouth and completely unconscious, oblivious to his surroundings.

After firing five arrows and kicking the Seventh Prince away, Chen Feng felt a surge of hot blood, his momentum peaking. He stood proudly in the center of the hall, his cold eyes sweeping over the screaming guards, appearing like a frenzied god.

His shock of crimson hair contrasted sharply with his pitch-black tunic. Combined with the crescent curve on his back and his cold, aloof temperament, he was a figure that sent chills down the spine.

“Kill him…” A figure resembling a guard commander shouted loudly. “Someone is assassinating the Imperial Majesty! This is the time to show loyalty and patriotism!” The guards’ faces were flushed red, as if pumped full of stimulants, and they charged forward with savage cries.

Hoo… Chen Feng exhaled. The muscles in his legs instantly coiled like steel cables, unleashing a surge of incomparable strength from below.

“Hah!” With a ferocious roar, he stomped his feet down. The very ground seemed to be struck by a massive hammer. Radial cracks spread across the smooth, black stone floor, and the entire surface trembled from the sheer force of that single stomp.

This action utilized no Qi Vortex energy; all the power was a raw, explosive burst from his physical body. Chen Feng’s monstrous physical might was displayed to the world for the first time.

Because this was the Imperial Palace, both the floor and the stone pillars were constructed from high-quality black stone. Black stone, inherently dark, was a mineral used in refining metals, far surpassing bluestone in terms of both durability and compression resistance. Chen Feng’s ability to fissure the black stone floor with one stomp demonstrated the immensity of his strength.

The leading guards, unbalanced by the ground’s tremor, slowed considerably. Two of them even stumbled and fell. The guards rushing behind them collided with the fallen men, instantly creating a chaotic mess of tangled bodies.

The moment Chen Feng stamped the ground, he launched himself forward like a meteor, hurtling toward a pillar on the side of the hall. In such large hall structures, pillars as thick as two men were typically erected in the center or around the perimeter, primarily to support the massive roof and prevent collapse. Destroying these pillars would bring the hall down.

That was precisely Chen Feng’s intention. His body soared like a shooting star. He switched the Ming Yu Sword to his left hand, his right arm muscles bulging like a swollen mound, unleashing a torrent of peerless power from his fist. This punch, channeling the force of his jump and his arm strength, smashed directly into one of the hall’s pillars!

Crack, crack… The pillar shook violently. Faint cracks appeared where the fist struck, and then the fissures widened rapidly, culminating in a loud snap as they radiated outwards.

Though this blow did not completely shatter the pillar, the violent shaking caused the hall’s ceiling to begin cracking. These fissures spread like an infection, swiftly covering the entire overhead expanse.

Crash! Stones and dirt began raining down from the roof.

“Run, the building is collapsing!” an official screamed. Although his voice was the loudest, his legs were shaking uncontrollably, rendering him rooted to the spot.

The young contestants attending the banquet, despite their extraordinary talents, had never witnessed anything like this. Someone openly assassinating the Imperial Majesty within the Palace—had the world gone mad, or had they?

However, though momentarily stunned, these individuals were exceptionally gifted. Seeing Chen Feng strike the pillar, they snapped back to reality and scrambled for the exit.

The scene descended into absolute chaos. Contestants, guards, and attending officials all surged toward the hall’s doors.

“Let me pass! I am the Empire’s Minister of Finance! I cannot die; if I do, the Empire will descend into chaos…”

“Let me go first! I am fourth place in the Rookie Selection Tournament, brimming with potential, the future pillar of the Empire…”

“Stop arguing! Let me pass! This boy is wantonly destroying things, and as a guard, I must apprehend him first…”

No one would yield. The crowd bottlenecked, and the effort to exit faster only slowed them down. This was human nature laid bare: no matter how virtuous one’s words or close one’s ties, in times of crisis, self-preservation is always paramount. The ancients were correct: "A husband and wife are birds in the same forest, but fly apart when disaster strikes."

In the momentary gaps between the jostling crowd, Chen Feng struck both remaining pillars on the left and right sides with one punch each. These two blows were the final straw for the hall’s support structure. The ceiling finally succumbed, emitting a deafening, earth-shaking roar as it began to fall slowly.

Chen Feng quickly dispatched several guards and officials who reached him with a few swift sword strikes, then leaped out of the hall and onto the plaza outside.

Boom! The luxurious Royal Banquet Hall, constructed entirely of black stone, built over six months at a cost of tens of millions of gold coins, collapsed instantly. Chen Feng stood on the plaza without looking back. The dust cloud and rushing wind from the collapse billowed behind him, lifting the corner of his white shirt beneath his black suit and causing his red hair to billow, creating an almost illusory spectacle.

The clamor of shouting, yelling, and frustrated cursing from inside the hall was swallowed by the resounding collapse.

“Everyone advance! Kill him together!” The commotion in the hall immediately alerted the guards on the plaza. They seemed to realize that the instigator was the red-haired youth who had just leaped out. They shouted and charged forward. These guards were armed with long spears and clad in heavy armor, the friction between the metal plates creating a grating, piercing squeal as they ran.

Chen Feng observed that although the guards shouted wildly, their movements remained highly disciplined, forming a distinct, specialized formation. These were clearly veterans hardened by battle. While their cultivation might not be high, they were the most difficult adversaries: fearless, concerned only with orders, and possessing an iron will that would not waver due to the sacrifice of comrades. Such a formation would give even cavalry—masters of frontal assault—immense headaches.

“Quickly, he’s there…” A cry echoed from above. Forty to fifty mages descended from the sky! The ability to fly indicated that these mages were, at minimum, Level Five Magisters. The combined power of such a group was immense. Not merely Chen Feng in his current state, but perhaps even a Battle Venerable would struggle against them.

However, it was understandable. For any empire, the Imperial Palace was paramount, and its security measures were the most stringent. Not just one Battle Venerable, but two more would likely be unable to escape once trapped here. This was no exaggeration; historically, assassinations of emperors within their own palaces were exceedingly rare (referring to direct assassination, not regicide by princes, ministerial coups, or harem struggles).

The Luoqi Empire was vast, resource-rich, and boasted a formidable military, standing as one of the Four Great Empires. How could its palace defenses be weak?

Chen Feng surveyed the surrounding guards and the flying mages. In total, there were no fewer than a thousand combatants. A wave of hot blood surged through him, and the madness within intensified. A voice roared in his chest: “What if I die? Let’s see who in this world can stop Chen Feng’s steps!”

With that thought, he threw his head back and roared. The sound exploded within the encirclement, like a sudden thunderclap. A palpable, intense wave of killing intent spilled forth from the Ming Yu Sword in his hand.

The Ming Yu Sword harbored a fierce killing will—equivalent to a sword soul—that scorned anyone who tried to probe it. Thus, even though Chen Feng had possessed the sword for a long time, he had only utilized its brute force for wild hacking and slashing without tapping into his Qi Vortex, never mastering how to unleash its killing will without suffering backlash, let alone wielding it deftly.

Yet, facing the arrayed enemies now, Chen Feng felt no cowardice, only a rising desire for slaughter. This desire perfectly aligned with the residual will in the sword. Unknowingly, he had established a connection with the Ming Yu Sword, gaining finer control over it.

Chen Feng sensed the change in the Ming Yu Sword, but felt no great joy, as the guards in front, behind, and to the sides had already advanced, spears in hand.

“Kill…” The guards shouted in unison. Their synchronized cry sliced through the air, shattering Chen Feng’s own roar across the plaza. As they shouted, dozens of long spears shot out like meteors, tracing lines of electric light toward Chen Feng in the center. Woven strands of battle aura converged on the spear tips, forming a powerful, almost tangible energy wall that squeezed Chen Feng within its confines.

Unexpectedly, the formation, when fully engaged, possessed a binding effect. This explained why soldiers maintained formation even if comrades died during a charge—the binding made the besieged feel as if ropes were tied around them, restricting movement. Even superior cultivation might not save one under such siege.

Although his Qi Vortex power had not recovered, his pure muscle strength was terrifyingly immense. He scoffed at this constriction.

“Die…” He roared, exerting his full strength, instantly shattering the bonds. He swung the Ming Yu Sword into a flourish, drawing a circle around his body.

Whoosh, whoosh… A high-pitched whine echoed through the air. Where the Ming Yu Sword passed, a strange, vivid red wave of light materialized. This light behaved like solid sword qi. The foremost guards, upon contact with the wave, found their heavy armor reduced to mere decoration; it offered no resistance as they were cleanly sliced in half at the waist.

As if energized by the kills, the Ming Yu Sword began to pulse, turning deep crimson, surrounded by swirling rings of thin, scarlet mist that moved across the blade’s surface, making it look profoundly sinister.

Thud, thud… Moments later, the bisected guards collapsed onto the ground. Blood poured out like a stream, continuously gushing from the severed bodies. The smooth, clean floor slowly congealed into a river of red.

As the guards fell, their spears clattered to the ground with crisp sounds. Each clang felt like a needle piercing the hearts of the guards behind them.

Having been cut in half by Chen Feng’s Ming Yu Sword in two consecutive waves, even these death-defying men showed signs of terror in their eyes.

“This kid is strange! Don’t charge him, throw your spears!” A leader spotted the issue and yelled out.

A sharp gleam flashed in Chen Feng’s eyes. Not advancing was indeed a smart tactic, but would he be foolish enough to wait while the enemy hurled spears at him? He channeled power into his legs, leaning slightly forward, and instantly launched a charge. Despite lacking Qi Vortex support, his strength was astonishing. This dash was as swift as lightning, penetrating the crowd before anyone could react.

Chen Feng, immersed in the guard ranks, was like a tiger among sheep, a sharp sword plunged into the throng. Where he went, blood splashed and fragmented flesh flew. The more he killed, the better he felt his communication with the Ming Yu Sword became; the easier it was to wield. It seemed this treasure was destined to be a sword of slaughter, only becoming excited and acknowledging him in the midst of carnage.

Chen Feng pressed on relentlessly, moving like a phantom through the mass of men. In less than five minutes, over 200 of the nearly one thousand guards lay dead!

“What do we do?” Fidi asked anxiously, looking at the red-haired youth slaughtering men on the ground. The Magisters in the air were perfectly capable of casting magical attacks, but they had hesitated to act for fear of hitting their own guards. This hesitation had given Chen Feng the opportunity to claim so many lives.

Yu Ou’s face grew grim, the casual expression from before completely gone. After a moment of contemplation, he stated, “We will unleash low-level, single-target spells. Though these spells have weaker attack power, a large quantity of them might become unbearable for him!”

This was the optimal strategy Yu Ou devised to protect the ground troops. The dozens of Magisters in the air were capable of casting Level Five magic. If all those spells struck simultaneously, every guard on the ground would be obliterated by the explosion. This consideration led to this reluctant course of action.

“Act!” The plan settled, Yu Ou roared and raised his staff, aiming a barrage of magic at the darting Chen Feng in the crowd below.

Simultaneously, all the mages unleashed their spells. Wind arrows, earth arrows, ice arrows, stones—various spells rained down from the sky as if they cost nothing. Despite the large number, the attacks maintained dense concentration, all focused around Chen Feng’s body. This onslaught was like having dozens of heavy machine guns aimed at him from above. Chen Feng sensed the intense magical element fluctuation behind him and, abandoning the guards for the moment, shot forward like a cat.

Seeing Chen Feng in a predicament, the guards regained spirit, thrusting their spears forward.

Puh-chik… Two spears pierced Chen Feng’s chest, one from the front and one from the back. Blood sprayed from the wounds. Hit by magic from above and attacks from below, Chen Feng finally succumbed to heavy injury.

“Aargh…” Chen Feng roared, whirling the Ming Yu Sword into a brilliant arc. With two rapid strikes, he cleaved both attacking guards in half. Pulling out the spears embedded in his body, the intense pain blurred his vision. His frenzy only intensified. He fumbled with his left hand, pulling out a vial of Frenzy Potion and downing it. With a slight exertion internally, his entire aura underwent a violent transformation.

“Roar…” He roared toward the sky. His pupils shifted from black to red, then instantly to pure white, the irises slowly vanishing. His lower back bent instantly. An unparalleled burst of powerful qi erupted like a tidal wave, blasting the surrounding guards away. The magic from the sky was repelled beyond a ten-meter radius, leaving a vacuum zone around Chen Feng!

His blood boiled fiercely; Chen Feng had gone berserk again!

…………………………………………Free Content Below……………………………… PS: Apologies for the late update today. My girlfriend came to visit, became furious upon seeing my miserable existence, and dragged me out this morning to find a new place to live. After exhausting ourselves, we found a small bungalow on the edge of the city. I actually like it very much, other than the inconvenience of buying food. I paid six months’ rent and am waiting to move in a couple of days—hehe. While out, Old Ya also bought a new phone. Ugh, things are so expensive now. After paying rent and buying the phone, I’d spent more than half of my savings from working all this time… I’m dizzy!! At noon, a friend called saying his laptop was stolen and he urgently needed to borrow money… Sigh, Old Ya had no choice but to lend him three thousand. Looking at the remaining 700 yuan in my account, Old Ya wanted to cry but had no tears. I’ve been working since the ninth day of the Lunar New Year and haven’t been home once, yet I’ve only saved 700. Last night, Mom called, and when I mentioned I was quitting my job, she scolded me for twenty minutes straight. Sigh, I had to admit my mistake and promise to work hard. If I reported my resignation, the old folks would probably be scared to death. The situation is grim, brothers. Please support Old Ya by subscribing, woo-woo. If I don't get subscriptions, I’m doomed. Also, there’s another update tonight. Hitting 12,000 words today is risky, but those 16 'Urge to Update' tickets are precious. Even 8 cents is something, and right now, 50 cents is money to me… (To be continued. To know what happens next, please log on to www**com for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)