Empress, Save Me

With this domineering line shouted out, Ye Xuan swung the Sun-Slaying Divine Sword in his hand.

Grand Luo Limitless Sword Qi!

This was the top-tier sword art he cultivated, possessing boundless power, capable of severing the sun, moon, and stars, and breaking all laws back to one.

A golden sword qi, hundreds of feet long, erupted from the tip of the blade.

The sword qi was like a giant golden dragon, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, its might overwhelming the heavens.

Wherever the sword qi passed, space was torn apart, revealing pitch-black rifts.

Within those rifts, turbulent currents of the void could be faintly seen surging, exuding an aura of destruction.

Carrying the might to tear through the void, the sword qi swept out!

Rumble!

The sword qi and the incoming attacks collided in mid-air.

All the attacks shattered like bubbles before this single strike.

What?

This might... how is this possible?

The expressions of the surrounding prodigies changed drastically.

They never expected that this legendary kept man would have such terrifying strength.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Over a dozen magical treasures were sent flying directly by the sword qi; some shattered on the spot, while others suffered severe damage to their spirituality.

The unlucky few charging at the very front were instantly slain, and dozens of Nascent Soul stage cultivators nearby spat out blood as they were sent flying backward.

The power of a single sword strike was terrifying to this extent!

The entire battlefield fell into a dead silence once more.

Everyone stared blankly at Ye Xuan, their eyes filled with shock and fear.

Is... is this really that legendary piece of trash who only knows how to live off women?

This power, this imposing manner, was simply on par with an expert at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage!

Ye Xuan stood in the center of the field, maintaining his sword-swinging posture, his gaze disdainful.

Who else?

His voice was not loud, but it exploded like thunder in everyone's hearts.

The surrounding cultivators looked at each other in dismay; no one dared to step forward again.

Zhao Ritian gritted his teeth, his eyes full of unwillingness.

Qian Que gripped his battle saber tightly, but did not dare to make another move.

The others were scared into retreating repeatedly, terrified that Ye Xuan would unleash another strike.

However.

Just as he was preparing to welcome the worshipful gazes of the crowd.

Crack.

A faint, crisp sound came from his radiant Sun-Slaying Divine Sword.

The sound was very soft, but in this silent battlefield, it was as clear as a thunderclap.

Immediately after.

The originally resplendent divine sword suddenly dimmed.

The runes on the blade extinguished one after another, like candles blown out by the wind.

The golden sword qi dissipated, and the blade returned to a mundane silver-white color.

It wasn't just the sword; the Flowing Cloud Immortal Robe on his body, which was capable of withstanding attacks from Tribulation Transcendence stage experts, also lost its light.

The robe, which originally shimmered with seven-colored light, now became dull and lusterless, like ordinary fabric.

The protective jade pendant at his waist, which originally exuded a warm luster, also became dim.

The storage ring on his wrist, from which he could previously take out various treasures at will, now felt incredibly heavy, as if it had been sealed by something.

Ye Xuan froze.

Subsequently, a feeling of extreme foreboding welled up in his heart.

He abruptly looked down.

He saw that in the sky of the secret realm, the originally gray clouds suddenly split open, revealing a patch of pitch-black void.

In the void, gray chains of laws slowly emerged.

These chains were as thick as water barrels and thousands of meters long, each exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

The chains were engraved with dense runes, which flickered with a gloomy light, like countless pairs of eyes staring downwards.

The chains slowly descended, like an inescapable net, enveloping the entire secret realm.

An ancient and majestic voice came from the void, echoing throughout the secret realm:

Tianyuan Secret Realm Rules: To temper the younger generation, this place suppresses all magical treasures, talismans, and external items above the Earth rank. Only through one's own power can one endure.

This voice was like the voice of the Heavenly Dao, unquestionable and undeniable.

As the voice faded, those gray chains suddenly pulled taut, emitting a rattling sound.

An invisible fluctuation spread out from the chains, sweeping across the entire secret realm.

The magical treasures on all the cultivators lost their luster at this moment.

Someone's flying sword fell from the sky, hitting the ground with a clinking sound.

Someone's armor lost its defensive power, becoming no different from ordinary armor.

Someone's storage ring was sealed, making it impossible to take out the items inside.

Even the healing pills on some people lost their medicinal efficacy, turning into ordinary jellybeans.

The entire secret realm fell into chaos.

What's going on?

My magical treasure!

Damn it, this secret realm actually has such rules!

We've been screwed!

Various exclamations rose and fell.

And Ye Xuan's expression at this moment was uglier than anyone else's.

Holy... crap?

Ye Xuan's mouth twitched violently.

Magical treasures... were banned?

He looked down at the Sun-Slaying Divine Sword in his hand.

This divine artifact, which was once awe-inspiring and capable of severing the sun, moon, and stars, was now like an ordinary iron sword, heavy and completely lacking in spirituality.

He tried to channel sword qi, but the blade didn't react at all, without even a trace of light.

Although the Sun-Slaying Divine Sword was a divine artifact, because it was too powerful, it was directly suppressed into mortal iron by the rules.

Those protective talismans and explosive power pills given by the empresses... were now all waste paper and jellybeans!

He touched the jade pendant at his waist. That was personally given to him by Wu Lingxiao, said to be able to withstand a full-force strike from a Tribulation Transcendence stage expert.

But now, this jade pendant was like an ordinary stone, cold and completely unresponsive.

He then looked at the storage ring on his wrist, which contained countless treasures—Dragon Blood Grass, Phoenix Feathers, Qilin Horns, various pills, and talismans...

But now, all these things were sealed, and he couldn't even take them out.

Ye Xuan's expression went from shock to disbelief, and finally to despair.

He suddenly realized a serious problem.

Without these magical treasures, without these external items...

What did he have left?

Hahahaha!

In the crowd opposite him, someone noticed the anomaly and let out a gloating, maniacal laugh.

Look, everyone! His magical treasures have failed!

It was Zhao Ritian. He clutched his chest; although he was injured, his eyes flickered with excitement.

This secret realm suppresses magical treasures! He's just a toothless tiger now!

Qian Que also reacted. He licked his lips, the greed in his eyes intensifying.

Without the treasures given by the empresses, he's just a piece of trash!

Although Lie Wushuang was heavily injured, he still struggled to stand up, his eyes full of resentment.

Brothers! If we don't attack now, when will we?

Bing Xin'er wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and spoke coldly.

Beat this kept man to death!

Although the Blood Hand Butcher had lost both his hands, he still roared madly.

Rob him of everything!

Countless cultivators shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

This time, even more people charged forward.

It wasn't just the dozen or so people from before; the surrounding passersby and onlookers, a full hundred Nascent Soul stage cultivators, with red eyes, pounced forward like a zombie siege.

Their eyes were filled with greed and madness.

Although magical treasures were suppressed, Ye Xuan still had those treasures on him!

As long as they killed him and snatched his storage ring, once they left the secret realm, these treasures would all be theirs!

Moreover, killing the Empress's male pet was in itself a matter worth bragging about!

"Holy... crap!"

Ye Xuan's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Without the enhancement of magical treasures, without those heaven-defying auxiliary buffs.

Although he possessed the Flawless Dao Body, he had, after all, only recently broken through to the Nascent Soul stage!

Facing this overwhelming, completely disorganized, and entirely underhanded group beating.

Ye Xuan suddenly realized that he couldn't handle it at all.

Zhao Ritian charged at the forefront. Though injured, he still gritted his teeth and swung a sword.

Even without sword qi, this strike was still fierce, aiming straight for Ye Xuan's throat.

Qian Que attacked from the side. His battle saber, though having lost its blade gleam, was still heavy, chopping toward Ye Xuan's waist.

Various attacks surged over like a tide, densely packed, leaving absolutely nowhere to hide.

Gritting his teeth, Ye Xuan executed the Kunpeng Carefree Roaming movement technique.

His figure moved like a phantom, weaving through the crowd, attempting to dodge these attacks.

But there were simply too many people, and their attacks had no pattern whatsoever, completely striking at random.

This kind of chaotic assault was actually harder to dodge than a methodical one.

Because you had no idea where the next attack would come from or what kind of attack it would be.

Just as Ye Xuan dodged Zhao Ritian's sword, he was struck on the shoulder by Qian Que's battle saber.

Although the Flawless Dao Body gave him extremely strong defense and the saber didn't cut in, the massive force still made his body sway.

In the instant of this sway, Lie Wushuang's fireball smashed into his face.

"Ah!"

Ye Xuan let out a miserable shriek, his face burning with pain.

Although the fireball wasn't very powerful, it still hurt a lot when smashing into a face.

And, more importantly...

It was humiliating!

Before he could even react, Bing Xin'er's ice cone pierced into his back.

Though the ice cone didn't pierce his skin, the freezing cold still made him shudder.

"Bang!"

A large foot viciously kicked Ye Xuan right in his unparalleled, handsome face.

It was Li Sanshi, that pockmarked, burly man. Although he had been injured by the shock of the sword qi, he still struggled up and took advantage of Ye Xuan being besieged to deliver a vicious kick.

This kick landed solidly.

Ye Xuan's face instantly swelled up, his nose bleeding profusely.

"Let's see you act tough!"

Li Sanshi cursed while kicking.

"Let's see you disdain the world!"

Wang Tiezhu also rushed up. His bald head shone in the sunlight as he gripped a wooden stick and smashed it fiercely onto Ye Xuan's back.

"Still the peak of immortality? I'll turn you into a pig's head!!"

Although Lie Wushuang was heavily injured, he still gritted his teeth, rushed up, and smashed a punch into Ye Xuan's face.

"Ah!"

Ye Xuan cried out miserably, his entire body kicked flying.

He did several somersaults in the air and crashed heavily onto the ground, smashing out a large crater.

But before he even had time to get up, countless attacks rained down like a storm.

Fists, feet, spells, hidden weapons...

Various attacks were densely packed, completely unavoidable.

Although Ye Xuan's proud Kunpeng Carefree Roaming was fast, under this intense covering strike, there was simply nowhere to hide!

He tried to use his movement technique to escape, but just as he flew up, he was struck by a bolt of lightning, falling right out of the sky.

"Bang bang bang bang!"

Fist to flesh.

Various fireballs, ice cones, and bricks landed on Ye Xuan like raindrops.

Although the Flawless Dao Body meant he couldn't die, having high defense and thick health, but... it hurt!

"Hahaha, is this the legendary Soft Rice King? Nothing more than this!"

"Empress, save me!"

Ye Xuan shouted instinctively.

"Hahahaha! Shout! Shout until your throat breaks, no one is coming to save you!"

Zhao Ritian laughed wildly, stepping one foot onto Ye Xuan's face.

"Beat this Soft Rice King for me! Beat him fiercely, beat him until his own mother doesn't recognize him!"

Lie Wushuang roared, his eyes filled with jealousy.

Suddenly.

Between heaven and earth, the temperature plummeted.

The originally gray sky became even more gloomy in this instant. A biting chill seeped out from the void, like the aura of thousand-year-old ice, instantly enveloping the entire battlefield.

The cultivators who were in the midst of beating up Ye Xuan suddenly felt a bone-piercing chill rise from their spines.

The aura of death permeated the air at this moment.

"Clang!"

A chilling silver sword light, like the Milky Way hanging upside down, descended from the sky.

When the sword light first appeared, it was just a speck of silver on the horizon, but in an instant, it transformed into a silver cascade that pierced heaven and earth. Wherever the sword light passed, space was frozen, and countless tiny ice crystals condensed in the air, refracting brilliant light.

The purity of this sword qi actually forcefully tore open the crowd's encirclement.

"Boom!"

The moment the sword qi landed, a trench several meters deep and ten meters wide was plowed into the ground. The dirt on both sides of the trench was instantly frozen into ice blocks, emitting a chilling white mist.

The over a hundred cultivators who had densely surrounded Ye Xuan were forcibly split into two halves by this sword qi.

Dozens of unlucky souls standing near the impact point of the sword qi didn't even have time to react before being blasted away by the shockwave, spitting out mouthfuls of blood in the air and crashing heavily to the ground, their fate unknown.

Even more bizarrely.

Even the suppression rules of the secret realm retreated in the face of this sword.

The entire battlefield, beneath this sword strike, fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared blankly at that silver sword light, their eyes filled with shock and fear.

"Who?"

Zhao Ritian was the first to react. The hand holding his longsword trembled, and his voice carried a trace of panic.

Qian Que also widened his eyes, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He carried his battle saber on his shoulder but didn't dare take another step forward.

The other cultivators retreated one after another, their eyes full of vigilance.

The crowd turned pale with fright and backed away in succession.

Their footsteps were frantic; some were even tripped by companions behind them, falling flat on their faces.

The smoke and dust slowly dispersed.

The silver sword light gradually converged.

As the smoke cleared.

A figure in white clothes with silver hair, holding a longsword overflowing with cold light, stood in front of the bruised and swollen Ye Xuan.

It was a woman.

She wore a white sword robe, her sleeves fluttering like a banished immortal descending to the mortal realm. Silver sword patterns were embroidered on the sword robe, and every pattern seemed to come alive, exuding a faint sword intent.

Her hair was silver-white, smooth as moonlight, draped over her shoulders and fluttering in the wind. A few strands fell against her cheek, adding a touch of softness to her.

But her face was ice-cold.

Her face was like frost, her eyebrows like distant mountains, her eyes like cold stars.

Her facial features were as exquisite as an artwork meticulously carved by heaven, but that coldness which kept people a thousand miles away made one afraid to look at her directly.

The longsword in her hand emitted a faint silver glow. The blade was slender and long, like a pool of autumn water, clear and transparent. Carved onto the blade were two ancient characters—"Wen Qing" (Asking Love).

Bai Qianqiu.

The Holy Maiden of the Sword God Palace.

Her face was like frost, her gaze disdainful, and the "Wen Qing Sword" in her hand exuded a heart-palpitating chill.

She stood there like an ice sculpture, radiating an aura that forbade strangers from approaching.

"A group of people bullying an unarmed person."

Bai Qianqiu's voice was cold and clear, like thousand-year-old ice, devoid of a single trace of emotion.

Is this what you call the chosen geniuses of the great sects?

Her gaze swept over the surrounding cultivators, her eyes carrying a trace of undisguised mockery:

You really bring honor to your sects.

These words were extremely harsh.

The complexions of the surrounding cultivators turned ugly.

They were the chosen geniuses of the major sects, disciples upon whom great hopes were placed, the pillars of the future.

But now, they were being publicly mocked by a woman.

This was simply a tremendous humiliation!

Bai... Bai Qianqiu?

Someone recognized her, and his face became even more unsightly.

It was an inner sect disciple of the Qingshan Sect named Wang Wu, possessing a mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivation. He pointed at Bai Qianqiu, his voice carrying a hint of a tremble:

This is a personal grudge between us and this gigolo! Is the Sword God Palace going to stick its nose into this?

He spoke these words with great skill.

He both pointed out Ye Xuan's status and brought up the Sword God Palace, attempting to use the relations between sects to suppress Bai Qianqiu.

After all, although the Sword God Palace was powerful, it couldn't possibly offend all the sects for the sake of a gigolo.

A personal grudge?

Bai Qianqiu sneered, and the longsword in her hand vibrated.

Buzz!

The Wenqing Sword let out a clear, ringing hum. The frigid aura on the blade instantly erupted, transforming into countless tiny ice blades that danced in the air.

These ice blades were incomparably sharp, each one capable of cutting through gold and jade. They spiraled in the air, forming a massive sword array that completely enveloped the surrounding cultivators.

The temperature plummeted to freezing in that instant.

The surrounding cultivators felt a bone-piercing chill assault them from all directions. Their breaths condensed into white mist. Some even felt as if their very blood was about to freeze.

I do not care about any grudges.

Bai Qianqiu's voice was like the ice of the Nine Netherworlds, so cold it made one's heart tremble:

I only know that I cannot stand seeing so many people ganging up on one.

She paused, a cold light flashing in her eyes:

If you want to touch him, ask the sword in my hand first.

These words were spoken with absolute dominance.

The complexions of the surrounding cultivators turned ashen.

They wanted to retort, but looking at the Wenqing Sword in Bai Qianqiu's hand and the ice blades dancing in the air, they did not dare to open their mouths.

Bai Qianqiu's strength was absolutely top-tier among the younger generation.

She was the Holy Maiden of the Sword God Palace, having displayed astonishing talent in the way of the sword since childhood. It was said that she began practicing the sword at three, could project sword aura at five, slew a Golden Core stage demonic beast at ten, broke through to the Nascent Soul stage at fifteen, and achieved mastery in the way of the sword at twenty, capable of slaying a Soul Formation expert with a single strike.

More importantly, behind her stood the Sword God Palace.

The Sword God Palace was one of the top-tier factions in the cultivation world.

You...

Zhao Ritian gritted his teeth, a trace of unwillingness flashing in his eyes.

He was the Holy Son of the Qingshan Sect, possessing extraordinary talent, and had been cultivated as the future of the sect since childhood. He believed his own strength was also top-tier among the younger generation.

But facing Bai Qianqiu, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness.

He knew he was no match for Bai Qianqiu.

He couldn't even withstand a single strike from her.

The crowd dreaded Bai Qianqiu's strength, and they dreaded the Sword God Palace behind her even more.

They looked at each other in dismay, their eyes full of unwillingness and anger, yet they dared not step forward again.

After a moment of stalemate, the leader, Zhao Ritian, spat resentfully:

Consider yourself lucky!

He turned around and waved his hand:

Let's go!

Qian Que also cast an unwilling glance at Ye Xuan, shouldered his battle saber, and left following Zhao Ritian.

The other cultivators also dispersed one after another.

They left very reluctantly, looking back at Ye Xuan from time to time with eyes full of venom.

The crowd scattered while cursing and swearing.

What a joke, relying on the power of the Sword God Palace...

If you have the guts, don't hide behind a woman...

A gigolo is a gigolo, needing a woman to save him even in a fight...

All sorts of ugly words came from all directions.

But Bai Qianqiu turned a deaf ear to them. She just stood there quietly, the Wenqing Sword in her hand still radiating a cold light until everyone had left.

The crisis was averted.

The surroundings returned to tranquility.

All that remained was the mess on the ground and that deep sword mark, proving everything that had just happened.

Bai Qianqiu turned around and sheathed her sword.

Clang!

The sound of the Wenqing Sword returning to its sheath was crisp and melodious, like a phoenix crying in the highest heavens.

The frigid aura on the blade also retracted, and those ice blades dancing in the air turned into specks of starlight, dissipating into the air.

She looked down from above at Ye Xuan, who was still curled up on the ground with his hands protecting his head.

At this moment, how could Ye Xuan possess even the slightest bit of the demeanor of someone at the peak of immortality?

His hair crown was crooked, his originally neat hair bun had come undone, and his hair was draped messily over his shoulders, stained with dirt and blood.

His clothes were torn. That Flowing Cloud Immortal Robe, originally as white as snow, had now turned into tattered strips of cloth. It was covered in footprints and fist marks, and in some places, it was even ripped wide open, revealing the bruised skin underneath.

One of his eyes had turned into a black eye, swollen like a walnut and almost impossible to open. Although the other eye could still open, the area around the socket was also a mass of black and blue.

Blood still hung from the corner of his mouth, his nose was bleeding, and his entire face was swollen like a pig's head, completely obscuring its original handsomeness.

Hey.

Bai Qianqiu lightly nudged him with the tip of her foot:

Are you dead yet?

Her voice was still cold, but her tone carried a hint of teasing.

Get up if you're not dead.

Ye Xuan grunted and groaned as he let go of his hands, revealing a face that was too horrible to look at.

He first carefully opened the eye that could still open to confirm that all the surrounding enemies were gone, and only then did he slowly lower his hands.

He glanced at Bai Qianqiu, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.

It was a complex emotion.

There was surprise, gratitude, and a hint of... vigilance.

But very quickly, he concealed all these emotions.

He revealed a smile that was uglier than crying and climbed up from the ground.

He patted the dust off his backside, his movements very casual, as if nothing had just happened.

He gave a dry laugh, his voice hoarse:

I was careless and didn't dodge.

Looking at him like this, Bai Qianqiu couldn't help but roll her eyes.

A hint of helplessness and amusement flashed in her eyes.

This man, beaten to such a state, was still acting tough.

She didn't expose him, merely turning around and walking towards a small river in the distance:

Follow me.

Her voice remained cold, but her tone lacked a bit of its previous indifference and had a bit more... warmth.

Her figure from behind looked exceptionally slender under the afterglow of the setting sun.

Her white sword robe fluttered in the wind, and her long silver hair was as soft and smooth as moonlight.

She walked very slowly, seemingly waiting for Ye Xuan to catch up.

Ye Xuan froze for a moment. Looking at Bai Qianqiu's back, a trace of complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

He hesitated for a second, but ultimately followed her.

He walked very slowly, feeling agonizing pain all over his body with every step he took.

But he still gritted his teeth, following Bai Qianqiu step by step towards that small river.

As the sun set in the west, two figures, one in front and one behind, walked through this desolate secret realm.