Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

The Splintered Puppet Saint’s vigorous voice spread in all directions, clearly reaching the ears of Su Han and the citizens of Yanyun City, stunning them.

”The City Lord?”

”Impossible. The City Lord has always cherished his people. How could he possibly be aligned with King Yama’s Palace? I can’t accept this.”

”Splintered Puppet Saint? Could it be that the City Lord is actually a Saint Realm powerhouse?”

The Splintered Puppet Saint normally enjoyed an excellent reputation. No one could ever associate him with King Yama’s Palace. But now, with the Nineteenth Prince’s large army at the gates and the Splintered Puppet Saint taking the initiative to meet the attack, the truth was self-evident. The revelation was simply too shocking for anyone to accept at first.

Meanwhile, in various parts of Yanyun City, the members of King Yama’s Palace were already preparing for battle.

”King Yama’s Palace ambushed me first, and now you claim I am starting a war? What a glib tongue you have, Splintered Puppet Saint!” Su Han sneered from atop the Golden Chariot, amused by the Splintered Puppet Saint’s distortion of the truth.

”The actions of the Rotten Corpse Saint were his own and have nothing to do with King Yama’s Palace. If Your Highness seeks revenge, you should find his kin and friends. To come here with such threats—if that isn’t inciting war, what is?” the Splintered Puppet Saint retorted aggressively. He knew his side was weaker and could not possibly match Su Han’s forces in a direct confrontation, so he hoped to coerce and tempt the prince into retreating.

Unfortunately for him, he had greatly underestimated Su Han. Due to the age gap, he dismissed Su Han as a rash and impetuous youth and would now pay the price for his contempt.

”Since you see it as war, then a war it shall be. Heart Sword Saint, you’re up!” Su Han said indifferently, summoning the Heart Sword Saint to battle.

After all, the Splintered Puppet Saint was a Saint Realm Sixth Layer expert, the same as Wei Wenzheng. A battle between them would not yield a quick victory. The Heart Sword Saint, however, had the power to end things swiftly. Moreover, having just joined Su Han’s faction, the Heart Sword Saint needed to prove his allegiance. Slaying a Saint from King Yama’s Palace was the perfect way to do so.

”Have you gone mad?” Hearing Su Han’s words, the Splintered Puppet Saint’s eyes filled with terror, his face a mask of disbelief.

King Yama’s Palace was an immense power spread throughout the Central Plains, the premier dark organization, equivalent to two or three Imperial Clans. As strong as the Heavenly Sword Dynasty might be, its strength had limits. Did Su Han truly dare to start a war? Was he not afraid of plunging the Central Plains into chaos?

”Yes, Your Highness!” The Heart Sword Saint respectfully acknowledged the order and immediately stepped forward, launching himself toward the Splintered Puppet Saint.

He was already mentally prepared. When he learned that Su Han intended to uproot the strongholds of King Yama’s Palace, he hadn’t been surprised. Su Han’s command for him to fight now was also within his expectations. To protect the Heart Sword Sacred Palace, a price had to be paid. Besides, although King Yama’s Palace was influential, within the borders of Jiuzhou, the Heavenly Sword Dynasty reigned supreme. As the master of a Holy Palace under the Dynasty’s jurisdiction, he naturally stood with Su Han.

BOOM!

The Heart Sword Saint unfurled his Domain. His Holy Might was immense, and his Sword Intent soared to the heavens. He immediately used the Heart Sword Technique and charged the Splintered Puppet Saint.

”Activate the City Protection Formation! Fight to the death!” As soon as the Heart Sword Saint made his move, the Splintered Puppet Saint knew there was no turning back. Fleeing was a certain death sentence. The only path left was to fight for his life and carve out a bloody escape route.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Splintered Puppet Saint took out his Holy Artifact and swiftly engaged the Heart Sword Saint. In an instant, Holy Might surged like a tide. The heavens and the earth shook, space-time shattered, and the scene was terrifying to behold.

HUM!

Simultaneously, Yanyun City’s City Protection Formation activated. Its Formation Patterns intertwined, creating a system that integrated both offense and defense. This was no ordinary formation. King Yama’s Palace had secretly modified it into an Intermediate Grade Holy Formation. Operated by over a hundred of their disciples, it shone brightly, displaying formidable power.

”Your Highness, allow your humble servant to handle this!” Wei Wenzheng volunteered eagerly. Reaching out, he grasped the Mysterious Gold Holy Sword and swung it down violently.

”Heavenly Rank Low Level Martial Skill: Great Freedom Sword!”

The color of the sky changed as Spiritual Energy surged. The sword strike invoked the power of the heavens and the earth, generating an overwhelming pressure that felt like an impending disaster, filling all who witnessed it with despair.

SWISH!

A dazzling streak of Sword Radiance, fully 3,000 meters long, tore through the sky. It ripped space apart, unstoppable, and struck the City Protection Formation directly.

CRACK!

Although the formation was strong, its power was greatly reduced without a Saint presiding over it. Against Wei Wenzheng’s full-strength attack, the single strike caused the Formation Patterns to tremble and cracks to instantly appear.

”Break for me!” Wei Wenzheng raised his sword and slashed again. A second 3,000-meter Great Freedom Sword shot forth. The void was like paper before it. This time, the City Protection Formation could not hold and was smashed to pieces, exploding violently.

”Leave none from King Yama’s Palace alive!” Su Han ordered.

The Imperial Guards and the Black Armored Army behind him immediately flew into Yanyun City to hunt down the disciples of King Yama’s Palace. The disciples had a cold, sinister aura, and their strength surpassed that of ordinary people. Furthermore, since they had all recently helped activate the City Protection Formation, none of them could escape detection.

The battle erupted in an instant. A Supreme Realm powerhouse from King Yama’s Palace was surrounded. He fought with all his might, trying to carve out a bloody escape, but he was pinned down by ten Imperial Guard soldiers. Ground down by their Sword Array, the Supreme Realm powerhouse was ultimately slain on the spot, reduced to a cold corpse.

King Yama’s Palace was strong, but that was its overall strength. The might of a single outpost was limited and naturally unable to withstand the encirclement of ten thousand Imperial Guards and one thousand Black Armored Army.

Battles raged throughout Yanyun City as one disciple of King Yama’s Palace after another was rooted out and executed, their blood staining the ground. The citizens of Yanyun City trembled in fear, doing their best to hide, desperate not to become collateral damage. For Yanyun City, this was undoubtedly a dark day.

”Ahhh!”

Screams echoed endlessly. This outpost was not large, with the Splintered Puppet Saint being its only Saint Realm expert. The strongest of the rest were merely in the Supreme Realm. Thus, they could neither escape nor resist. One by one, they fell, turning into cold corpses.

In the end, all one hundred and three disciples of King Yama’s Palace were killed. Not a single one survived, leaving the Splintered Puppet Saint as a general without an army.

By this point, the Splintered Puppet Saint himself was being relentlessly driven back by the Heart Sword Saint. His injuries were worsening, and his defeat was imminent. Although he was a Saint of King Yama’s Palace, the gap in their Realms was too great. The Heart Sword Technique was also mysterious and unpredictable, leaving him with no defense. His face was colorless, blood dripped from his mouth, and his aura had grown faint. He was utterly weak and on the verge of collapse.

”Heart Sword Technique: Myriad Ghosts Devouring Heart!”

The same technique, when used by the Heart Sword Saint, was a thousand times more powerful than when used by the Heartless Holy Son. He stoked the fear in the Splintered Puppet Saint’s heart, using that fear as a blade to shatter his will to fight, letting him die consumed by terror.

THUD!

The Splintered Puppet Saint’s corpse plummeted from the sky, crashing through several houses and staining the ruins with blood.

The Splintered Puppet Saint was dead.

The first outpost of King Yama’s Palace had been successfully uprooted.