Massacre at the 27th Grand Temple

  One sword kills!

  Zhenyuan Guan's guardian, Ma Rishan, a 7th-level martial artist in the Refining Body period, was defeated by Ye Chen's sword in just one round.

  Everyone was shocked and lost their color.

  "High-ranking sword technique, Arc Moon Slash, releasing up to five sword auras, at least the strength of a late-stage Body Refining Eighth Layer cultivator! This unassuming commoner is actually so formidable, it seems I underestimated him!"

  The little princess's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Ye Chen with a new gaze.

  "Ye Chen was only at the sixth layer of the Refining Body stage just a month ago when he underwent strength assessment. How could his strength have increased to the eighth layer in such a short period of time?" "The last two moves of the Tiger Leaping Knife Technique are large-scale knife energy group attacks, the most overbearing ones, and yet he managed to cultivate them!"

  Bitter cold, Wei Xunyu and the two of them exchanged a glance, their faces extremely shocked. Because the two were also students of the academy, they knew Ye Chen's strength best. A month's time, from the sixth layer of the Refining Body stage to the eighth layer, that was an unimaginable speed of body refinement.

  "I had just broken through the seventh layer of the Refining Body stage a few days ago, and with the Blood Pulse Ring, I could barely exert power close to that of the eighth layer, able to release five knife auras. My actual strength is only slightly stronger than Ma Ruzi's."

  Ye Chen's expression was somewhat innocent, and he pointed to the deceased Ma Rusan, saying, "However, what surprised me is that I said I was a sixth-level martial artist in the Refining Body stage, and he actually believed it! I previously wondered why he would lead his army out on a campaign and suffer defeat in an ambush. Now I know that he's too easy to underestimate and deceive, and it's not unjust for him to lose battles. He's not suitable to be the guardian of Zhenyuan Pass."

  Wei Xuan Yu let out a soft giggle.

  The young princess rolled her eyes and silently cursed, "Got it, if you hadn't claimed to be a sixth-level Body Refining cultivator who had just graduated from Beimou Academy, how could Maru Shan have been so careless? You looked like a newly graduated rookie, even I was deceived. Otherwise, Maru Shan would at least be a seventh-level Body Refining warrior, if he hadn't underestimated you, he wouldn't have died so suddenly. It's good that he's dead, it saves me from having to ask my father to take care of him."

  The severe cold recovered from the shock, still with a calm expression.

  In the distance, watching the battle unfold, dozens of personal guards on horseback were ready to witness General Ma beheading his arch-nemesis. They finally snapped out of their shock and began shouting loudly. They were all loyal soldiers of Ma Ruzhang, deeply devoted to the Ma family and Ma Ruzhang himself, each filled with grief and indignation.

  "He killed the Crown Prince! Avenge the Crown Prince!"

  "Kill him!"

  "Kill him!"

  A group of more than twenty cavalrymen, drawing their swords and brandishing them, with a mixture of grief and indignation, disregarding life and death, charged towards Ye Chen.

  "They may be the elite cavalry of Wu State, but unfortunately they are loyal only to Ma Family and not Wu State, they must die!"

  Ye Chen let out a faint sigh in his heart, gathered his emotions and steeled himself.

  He spurred his horse's belly and charged fiercely towards the flank of the cavalry. The precious sword in his hand swung out, and four or five iron riders who came face to face fell down in a flash of knife gas. The cavalry behind collided with the fallen cavalry in front, and the charging formation was suddenly thrown into chaos.

  Ye Chen dared to single-handedly occupy a small group of cavalry, of course, he had this confidence.

  The country of Wu was a relatively weak small nation, where the strength of an ordinary knife soldier was at most in the first layer of the Refining Body stage, and even the elite cavalry was only in the third layer of the Refining Body stage.

  Above three layers of body refinement are all team leaders, even school lieutenants.

  Those who cultivate their bodies to six layers or more are extremely rare and have the qualifications to become generals. Ma Renshan cultivated his body to seven layers, becoming the guardian general of the 5,000 troops at Zhenyuan Pass, which is a good example.

  Such a group of cavalry is no match for a pack of adult gray wolves in the depths of the northern mountains.

  Ye Chen's strength was approaching the seventh layer of Body Tempering, and even if he didn't use his Moon Slash martial art, with just his pure physical strength, he could kill them all without breaking a sweat. His strength surpassed that of the garrison commander of Zhenyuan Pass, and wasn't something that a mere few dozen cavalrymen could compare to.

  The gap in strength between the two sides is too big.

  This small group of cavalry almost collapsed at the first encounter, with more than half killed or wounded. The remaining ones were so frightened that they turned around and fled to Zhenyuan Pass.

  In the severe cold, he suddenly whipped his horse and drew his sword, joining in the pursuit of the remaining cavalrymen who were fleeing for their lives.

  It was also their bad luck that Ye Chen and Yan Han were riding the best horses, with explosive power and endurance, faster than these cavalrymen's warhorses. Before they could run out of a few hundred steps, they were all beheaded by the two men.

  The little princess remained silent.

  "Princess, Ma Rusan is already dead. His personal guards must all be killed. Otherwise, if the news gets out, it may trigger a rebellion by the Ma family, with even more severe consequences! Ye Chen and Shuang Han had no choice but to kill them."

  Wei Xuan Yu said softly.

  "This princess knows!"

  The little princess also understood this.

  The young princess urged her horse forward a few steps, kicked the toe of her shoe, and retrieved a token from Ma Ruzhang's waist. "Let's go to Zhenyuan Pass. Since there is no general guarding the pass, I'll take care of the defense and then hurry on our way."

  Half an hour later, a group of four people rode their horses and arrived at the foot of the city wall of Zhongyuan Pass.

  Ye Chen looked out from the city gate and saw only a few Wu State military flags fluttering on the city head, with three or two soldiers holding long guns and bows and arrows, wearing thin grass and bamboo armor, standing on the city head with low morale. The previous group of cavalry was at least somewhat elite.

  Ye Chen couldn't help but shake his head secretly.

  The little princess announced her royal identity at the city gate.

  "The low-ranking official didn't know the princess was arriving, please forgive him, Your Highness!"

  A middle-aged minor official guarding the city gate looked out from the top of the city wall and hastily ordered the creaky opening of the city gate. He personally went out of the city to pay respects and welcome Princess Wu Xiaoluan, who was deeply favored by the ruler of Wu State. Many officials in the royal city recognized Ling Xiang, the little princess most loved by the ruler, when they received their appointments from the ruler, and it couldn't be faked.

  The city gate was opened and the four men on horseback entered the city smoothly.

  The atmosphere in Zhenyuan City was mournful, with nearly half of the soldiers being those who had escaped from the battlefield, and a large number of wounded men who could not receive treatment.

  "Assemble all the captains and generals of this city, I have an important announcement to make, and convey the imperial decree!"

  The little princess Wu did not pretend to be polite and walked quickly towards the gate of the city, where General Chao was waiting.

  Ye Chen, Yan Han and Wei Xunyu followed closely behind.

  "Your Highness, there's no need to summon them. They're all in the grand hall right now. However, please take a step back, Your Highness. I'll go inform them first, lest they offend your ears and eyes..."

  The gate official looked embarrassed and hastily advised.

  "Sully my ears and eyes?"

  The little princess was strange, but she didn't stop, and had already arrived outside the general's temple. Her fiery temper couldn't wait any longer.

  "Haha~~~, good wine! Today we have wine, today we get drunk. Let's all drink together, brothers!"

  "Come on, place your bets quickly! This round is a hundred taels of silver!"

  "This chick's butt is really white and tender, I'll have to fight her 300 rounds when I turn back! Let's see who dares to laugh at my incompetence."

  Inside the general's mansion, a group of martial artists burst into unbridled laughter and women's giggles.

  The little princess had just arrived at the general's temple when a strong smell of wine and lipstick came rushing towards her.

  In the majestic and awe-inspiring general's hall, the licentious scene stunned her.

  Dozens of military officers put out large trays of wine, full tables of meat, and women with bare chests and breasts, laughing wildly and drinking. There was also a group of military officers who gambled heavily on the table, with piles of silver coins covering the entire table.

  A drunken and lustful military officer, stumbling out to urinate, suddenly saw Wu Xiaogongzhu and his eyes lit up with a lewd smile. "Ah, what a tender little girl! It's rare to see such a beauty in our humble town of Zhenyuan. Are you the new plaything Big Brother has brought back? He just stepped out for a bit and will be back soon. Why don't you keep us company for now?"

  As he spoke, the big man's hands were about to pounce on him.

  "The enemy is right outside the city, and you're indulging in feasts and wine here! You're doomed!"

  The little princess's face turned red with rage, her whole body trembling. She raised the whip in her right hand and lashed out at the big man, striking him squarely on the head and face.

  Wu Xiaogongzhu was a martial artist in the seventh layer of body refinement, with over 700 jin of force. The big man was flogged to death by more than ten whips, and when he woke up from his drunken stupor, he almost lost half his life. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

  "Who are you to dare hit an official of the imperial court!"

  Many military officers in the palace shouted loudly at once.

  "This is Ben Zhuo Wuling Xiang, today I will beat you all to death!"

  The young princess strode into the grand hall, whipping anyone she saw, and in an instant the hall was in chaos with people running wildly, disheveled women fleeing in all directions, and clothes torn apart.

  "Damn it, we were born and died on the battlefield, killing countless enemy troops, and now you want us to be controlled by a little princess like you?!" "Even if she is a princess, she can't control our affairs in Zhenyuan Pass! We only listen to Commander Ma's orders!"

  Many officials were flogged, drunk and bold, evil grew in their hearts, they overturned the table, drew out knives and swords, and rushed towards Princess Wu Xia.

  Suddenly, a figure rushed out from behind Princess Wu Xiao, and a crescent-shaped light flashed, exceptionally dazzling in the hall!

  Hmph!

  Five front-rushing, angrily knife-wielding school officers had their heads blown off, blood splattering everywhere! Their dead eyes stared wide with unblinking gaze at the shocked officers.

  The chaotic and noisy General's Hall, on the verge of losing control, suddenly fell into a dead silence, where even the sound of a needle falling could be heard.

  "Who else dares to disobey the young princess and cause trouble? Come out!"

  Ye Chen grasped the blood-dripping treasured sword, coldly gazing at the dozens of Tongyuan Gate military officers inside the grand hall with eyes wide with shock.