Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 157: Annihilation

This Four Symbols Soul-Slaying Formation truly lives up to its reputation as the most powerful among the Thirteen Formations, far surpassing the Thunder Spear Formation.

The power of the void that descends is a clear indication.

The power from the Thunder Spear Formation falls like a drizzle, while the void power from the Four Symbols Soul-Slaying Formation is like a torrential downpour.

The violent power descends, adding to their strength and instantly placing them in a strange state.

In this state, not only do their strength and speed increase dramatically, but their minds also become tranquil and focused, with heightened senses.

Errors that they wouldn't normally notice are now clearly perceived, allowing them to constantly adjust their positions and speed, merging deeper with the formation.

The deeper the fusion with the formation, the stronger the power descending from the void. The stronger the power, the more sensitive they become, allowing them to refine the formation more effectively. The more perfect the formation, the stronger the power descending from the void. Their minds are calm and serene, as if watching others charge from afar.

Their bodies are filled with surging power, almost overflowing. They feel invincible, capable of piercing through any solid object in the world with a single sword strike.

Mountains would be cleaved, rivers would be severed.

With this boundless power and lightning speed, they collectively thrust towards the rapidly approaching Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry, which formed a bizarre illusion.

The two hundred plus Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry resembled a large dark cloud. Despite their incredible speed, they gave off a sense of lightness and etherealness, creating an inexplicable feeling of suffocation.

Chu Zhiyuan discovered that the power of the Four Symbols Soul-Slaying Formation isolated him from the mental influence of the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry.

It didn't even trigger the clear and cold aura of the Qingying Sword.

The power of the fully unleashed Four Symbols Soul-Slaying Formation exceeded his imagination. The surging power within his body was not Gang Qi, but a special force, a power that amazed him.

This power almost doubled his speed and strength, making him unimaginably powerful.

He felt as if he could kill a Grandmaster with a single punch.

Wielding the Qingying Sword, he led them in constantly adjusting their subtle directions, seeking out the flaws and weaknesses of the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry.

Finally, he led the group through the largest opening, charging into the midst of the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry.

The Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry saw him from afar, and a surge of killing intent stirred within them, their eyes flashing with cold light, eager to devour him.

Chu Zhiyuan ignored their gazes, his movements composed. The Qingying Sword swept across necks, and heads soared into the sky.

One after another, warhorses carried headless corpses forward.

Pillars of blood shot into the air.

The Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry clearly had more people and a denser formation, but in front of them, they were like paper, easily pierced through.

Chu Zhiyuan and his men effortlessly pierced through in the blink of an eye. Before they could turn back, they heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves from behind.

The ground trembled as if boiling.

Warhorses galloped wildly, the muffled sound of hooves like thunder.

The Wind-Chasing Iron Cavalry charged at full speed, the two hundred plus riders transforming into twelve streaks of lightning, directly towards the already scattered Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry.

The Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry didn't have time to adjust. Two hundred plus faced off against two hundred plus, and they were sent flying, spitting out blood in mid-air.

Some died instantly, while others clung to life.

Chu Zhiyuan stopped his charge, turned his head to look at the Wind-Chasing Iron Cavalry who had already pierced through the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry, and called out, "Any casualties?"

"None!"

"Haha, good, good. You may leave then, thank you for your hard work. I'll treat you to drinks when you return to the capital!"

"Alright, Your Highness, then we'll take our leave!"

The Wind-Chasing Iron Cavalry shouted a few times and left directly.

Chu Mingrui was short-handed in Gaoling Town and needed them to return as soon as possible to protect him, brooking no delay.

The ground was a mess.

The scene was extremely chaotic.

Behind Chu Zhiyuan were twenty-four guards from the Qing Royal Manor. They quietly watched the tragic scene, their expressions still somewhat dazed.

Everything that happened before them seemed too unreal. They wondered if they were the ones who had just pierced through the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry, or if it was just a dream.

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand: "Kill them all. Leave no one alive. Take the armor and horses, and bury the corpses on the spot!"

"…Yes!"

Guo Chi and the others hesitated for a moment, then gritted their teeth and agreed.

Chu Zhiyuan suddenly rode his horse, nimbly weaving through the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry, picking up three swords along the way.

Li Haoyuan stood among the family soldiers, staring blankly at the scene before him, a scene that gave him a strong shock and shattered his understanding. He had never imagined that the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry would be in such a state.

The Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry had always crushed others' troops like a stone rolling over ants. No one had ever been able to crush the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry in such a way.

In front of those two hundred plus Wind-Chasing Iron Cavalry, the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry seemed to be without formation, their movements as slow as old men and women.

And this iron cavalry of twenty-four was even more terrifying, ignoring the defenses of the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry, cutting through like a hot knife through snow, without any obstruction.

Breaking the formation was too easy, as if the two hundred plus Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry before them were fake.

Chu Zhiyuan waved the longswords in his hand one by one.

Before him were also Armor-Piercing Divine Weapons.

Unfortunately, these three Armor-Piercing Divine Weapons were completely different from his previous wooden sword, being exactly the same as the Evil-Slaying Sword. He sighed, flicked the three longswords, and finally tossed them to Zou Fang behind him: "Keep them."

"Yes."

He once again spurred his horse into the pool of blood and screams, the Qingying Sword waving, lightly slicing across the necks of four Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry, completely killing these four hidden Grandmasters. He looked at the four dead Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry and sighed: "Grandmasters are so fragile in this kind of battle."

The protective Gang Qi was not omnipotent. The powerful force brought by the cavalry charge was like a high-speed flying boulder hitting them. The formation was broken by Chu Zhiyuan, and the power of the formation could not form a defense.

Although they had protective Gang Qi, they were shaken until their blood surged and their Gang Qi scattered, and then they were injured by other cavalry. Even if a Grandmaster was injured, they were far from comparable to ordinary Innate experts, and could launch a sudden attack and then flee at any time. But they never thought that someone would recognize them.

Injured and caught off guard by Chu Zhiyuan's Qingying Sword, they were ultimately killed by a sneak attack.

Having personally killed four Grandmasters, Chu Zhiyuan felt nothing, as if he had killed four ordinary martial arts experts.

"They are...?" Li Haoyuan frowned and asked.

Chu Zhiyuan indifferently said: "Four Grandmasters, originally here to assassinate you, right?"

"...Thank you, Your Highness," Li Haoyuan said in a deep voice.

He was thinking, if these four Grandmasters suddenly attacked, could he escape unharmed? Ultimately, he felt that he could not escape death.

Suddenly attacked by four Grandmasters, and in a situation where he was caught off guard, he could not dodge.

His expression was solemn: "Your Highness, this time you have forged a great feud with the Great Mongols. They will definitely try every means to kill you."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled: "How would they know that I killed them?... It was clearly Uncle Shi."

Li Haoyuan glanced at the people around him.

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Are there also Mongol spies here?"

"Definitely!" Li Haoyuan slowly said: "Your Highness, the Great Mongols' spies are more formidable than you can imagine."

Chu Zhiyuan's super-senses were closely monitoring everyone in the field, not letting go of any slight expression on anyone's face, his thoughts seemingly divided into dozens, focusing on one person at a time. The result was no different.

His own Royal Manor guards were fine. This was not surprising, since it had been sealed for thirty years, and the Great Mongols had no opportunity to plant spies. Even if there were spies in the Qing Royal Manor, they would have withdrawn long ago, finding an excuse to disappear.

And these people in front of him were all recruited during the process of sealing the manor, with clear backgrounds, and at that time, no one was plotting against the Qing Royal Manor.

Chu Zhiyuan raised his voice: "Today's events were that Prince Ying sent his personal guards to annihilate these Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry. Everyone, remember that?"

"Yes!" Everyone responded thunderously.

At this moment, Chu Zhiyuan was like a god descending to earth in their eyes, his prestige unmatched.

Chu Zhiyuan said: "If you think about showing off, you will eventually be killed silently, dying inexplicably!"

"Yes!" Everyone nodded busily.