Chapter 176: Chapter 143: Execution

“Pfft!”

The Red Slaughter Blade pierced through Xu Mujun’s body, as Xu Mujun slightly sidestepped at the crucial moment.

Blood, mixed with an arm, soared into the sky.

His left arm was directly severed by Elder Daoist Ban Yuan using the Red Slaughter Blade!

“General!”

“General!”

The only remaining Grandmaster Realm Martial Artist of the Dragon Scale Army roared angrily and immediately rushed forward to assist Xu Mujun.

Faced with Xu Mujun charging in despite losing his left arm, Elder Daoist Ban Yuan was momentarily flustered.

He stood in place, not retreating or dodging, instead forming a seal with one hand to summon the Red Slaughter Blade back.

“Don’t even think about it!”

A Grandmaster Realm Martial Artist of this life shouted angrily, directly blocking in front of the Red Slaughter Blade, slashing down with a steel saber in hand.

With a “clang” sound, the steel saber in his hand was cut into two halves, and the Red Slaughter Blade, infused with Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s essence blood, trembled violently before falling to the ground.

At this moment, Xu Mujun finally stepped in front of Elder Daoist Ban Yuan.

The broken saber in his right hand mercilessly slashed toward Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s neck.

“Pfft!”

Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s heart shook tremendously, and he hurriedly retreated, barely avoiding the fatal cut.

Moreover, the weapon in Xu Mujun’s hand was a broken saber, the fractured edge slashing from his left neck all the way downward, carving out a wound over three feet long.

“Ah!”

Elder Daoist Ban Yuan screamed miserably, but even so, he was not dead yet.

“Damn mortal! How dare you injure me, Dao Master?! I will make you all die, make you all die!!!”

He screamed while roaring in rage, tearing open the fresh blood on his body, his flesh rolling, and blood-soaked worms crawling out of his wounds.

“Blood Evil Gu! Devour him for Dao Master, devour him!”

“Buzz buzz buzz…”

A dozen Blood Evil Gu beetles hummed in unison, all rushing toward Xu Mujun.

Undaunted, Xu Mujun advanced instead of retreating, ignoring the dozen Blood Evil Gu beetles biting and sucking blood from his body, and stomped fiercely on Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s thigh.

At the same time, the broken saber around him slashed down without hesitation.

“Pfft!”

The first slash.

“Ah!”

The second slash.

“Spare me…”

The third slash.

“I am willing to surrender…”

The fourth slash.

“Ah…!”

Only by the fifth slash did he completely sever Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s neck, and the Blood Evil Gu beetles covering his body panicked, scattering like headless flies.

Some continued biting and sucking blood, while others unfolded their wings to escape hastily.

At this moment, Xu Mujun looked incredibly miserable, naked and covered in blood. Especially with his left arm severed at the elbow, exposing grim blood and white bones.

He gripped Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s head with one hand while fiercely stomping on his abdomen.

“Pfft!”

Dantian shattered, blood gushed out in torrents.

Xu Mujun’s pores opened all over his body, absorbing the surrounding Blood Evil Power.

Hundred Battle Blood Slaughter Saber!

This was the martial arts cultivation technique he created on his own, able to enhance one’s power and realm by absorbing the Slaughter Qi of the battlefield and Blood Evil Power.

Years of fighting had pushed his martial arts cultivation into the Innate Realm.

The enemies who died by his hand reached at least tens of thousands, or even over a hundred thousand.

Yet even so, he had never killed a cultivator.

Now, this Elder Daoist Ban Yuan was the first cultivator to die by his blade.

“Buzz…!”

As the Blood Evil Power was absorbed, Xu Mujun’s true qi in the dantian quickly recovered.

A sharp buzzing sound came again, shooting swiftly, and was caught in his hand.

Blood-colored flying sword.

This top-grade flying sword seized from Fire Spirit’s hand, after years of being nurtured by Xu Mujun’s blood and true qi, could be manipulated slightly.

Yet it was only simple manipulation; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been easily broken by Elder Daoist Ban Yuan.

To fully control this flying sword, Xu Mujun needs to kill Fire Spirit!

“General!”

At this moment, the only remaining Grandmaster Realm Martial Artist of the Dragon Scale Army arrived, half-kneeling on the ground with deep sorrow.

“Tie Hu is dead, and Po Shan is also near the end…”

Xu Mujun came to Po Shan’s side, seeing his chest pierced, covered in blood, yet still trying to smile, his stern voice choked slightly: “Po Shan…”

“Gen-General… cough cough cough…”

His chest pierced through by Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s Red Slaughter Blade, his internal organs were already reduced to ashes.

The wound also had thick evil qi, devouring his life force.

With such injuries, not even immortals could save him!

All he could speak of now sustained by a breath of true qi.

“Following the General across the world, Po Shan has no regrets… no regrets… hahaha…”

“Cough cough, cough cough cough…”

A violent cough erupted, blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spurted out, finally, his hands collapsed powerlessly to the ground, his breath gone.

“Po Shan!”

“Po Shan, ah! Wuwuwu…”

The comrade sobbed loudly over Po Shan’s corpse, tears and snot streaming.

Even Xu Mujun’s eyes were somewhat wet, but he quickly recovered.

Through the years, he had witnessed many comrades-in-arms sacrificing and brothers-in-arms passing away, he learned to hide the grief quickly.

“Guanshan, Guanshan.”

“Gen-General, I am here!”

“Go count the casualties of the Dragon Scale Army, stay here and wait for my return.”

Guanshan wiped away his tears and said: “Then General, what about you, where are you going?”

“Me?”

Xu Mujun’s eyes flashed, looking towards the distance where a few were still fighting, he said coldly: “Just to eliminate the rebels.”

Guanshan’s lips twitched, finally letting out a long sigh: “By the way, General, I found this item!”

He said while picking up a short blade, holding it in both hands to present it to Xu Mujun.

“This item… a cultivator’s magical artifact?”

Xu Mujun frowned, this short blade was precisely Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s magical artifact, the Red Slaughter Blade!

After his death, this artifact had lost much of its spiritual nature and became an ownerless item.

Compared to the steel blades made from hundred-refined steel they used, cultivator magical artifacts were more durable and sharp.

Xu Mujun’s saber: “I’ll leave this magical artifact to you. Nourish it with essence blood and true qi, and you can wield it as if it’s a part of your body.”

“Elder Daoist Ban Yuan is dead, and you’ll only need a few years to fully claim this magical artifact as your own, making it your protective treasure.”

Guanshan hesitated for a moment but still accepted it: “Thank you, General!”

“From now on, this short blade will be called… Po Hu.”

“It’s also in remembrance of Tie Hu and Po Shan!”

“It’s all up to you!”

Xu Mujun agreed, turned around, and walked towards Xu Xuanwu.

At this moment, in the distance, Xu Xuanwu and Chen Zhong’s battle had reached an intense point.

One person was an ambitious hero willing to commit patricide in his quest to dominate the world.

The other was a death warrior raised to be loyal to the emperor and repay the country with his life.

Both were fighting for different beliefs in their hearts.

Xu Xuanwu, like his father Xu Mujun, was adept at the Hundred Battle Blood Slaughter Saber.

However, throughout his years of cultivation in Nanyue County, he integrated his understanding with the unique martial arts of Nanyue County, forging his own path.

His swordsmanship lost its distinct battlefield slaughter qi and instead became insidiously vicious, with each sword qi containing extremely venomous poison skill!

Blood evil and poison skill complemented each other, forcing Chen Zhong to retreat continuously.

Chen Zhong, on the other hand, cultivated the Black Lotus Treasure Manual, passed down from Chen Liancang’s lineage.

His figure flickered like a ghost, his claws insidiously vicious, capable of splitting gold and cracking stone in one strike, also imbued with poison skill.

Their specter-like figures intertwined, locked in a deadly struggle.

“What enchanting potion did Emperor Zhengyong give you that makes you so determined?”

Xu Xuanwu wielded his long blade, pushing Chen Zhong to keep retreating.

After all, he held a weapon, giving him the upper hand, leaving numerous injuries on Chen Zhong.

If Chen Zhong hadn’t fought with a mentality of life for a life, he would have been defeated long ago.

Chen Zhong said coldly, “Your Majesty is the True Dragon Emperor, a rebel like you has no right to speak of His Majesty.”

“True Dragon Emperor?”

Xu Xuanwu sneered, “When I compete for the world, I too shall be the True Dragon Emperor, hahaha…”

“Get lost!”

“Boom!”

The Hundred Battle Blood Slaughter Saber struck again, and Chen Zhong dodged like a phantom.

But Xu Xuanwu, after striking, suddenly drew a short blade with his other hand.

With a flick, it blocked Chen Zhong’s front, tearing open his chest.

“Despicable!”

“Hahaha… As long as I win, who cares about being despicable?”

“Die for me…!”

“Clang!”

The sound of fierce clashing weapons rang out suddenly, brilliant sparks flew everywhere.

A one-armed man, wrapped only in a simple red cloak, suddenly appeared between the two.

“Father, Father!!”

Xu Xuanwu exclaimed, hardly believing his eyes.

Xu Mujun, holding a blood-red broken blade, steadied Xu Xuanwu’s long blade with one hand.

He instinctively glanced into the distance, hoping to see Elder Daoist Ban Yuan, but only saw ruins.

“Looking for someone?”

“Elder Daoist Ban Yuan?”

Xu Mujun’s tone was icy, but to Xu Xuanwu, who knew him well, his heart jumped.

Unlike ordinary people, the angrier Xu Mujun was, the calmer he became.

Because only by calming down could he think more comprehensively and find the most appropriate solution.

And now.

Xu Mujun’s anger was like a volcano about to erupt!

“Come back to the capital with me and apologize to His Majesty.”

“I won’t!”

Xu Xuanwu gritted his teeth fiercely, shouting angrily, “Father! The world is in chaos, all because of Emperor Zhengyong’s sins.”

“Yu lost its deer, and the whole world chases it!”

“Now there are at least dozens of Rebel Kings opposing Emperor Zhengyong, some resisting his tyranny, some ambitious ones coveting the throne, some pleading for the people, why can’t we seize the world!”

“This world belongs to those with virtue!”

“Wretched beast!”

“Slap!”

Xu Mujun directly slapped Xu Xuanwu, making him stagger.

“Our Xu Family has been loyal for generations, how did we produce a rebel like you!”

“If His Majesty is unjust, we must uphold benevolence and righteousness!”

“Slap!”

Another slap, Xu Xuanwu moved forward another step.

“If His Majesty is tyrannical, we should advise with our lives!”

“Slap!”

“If His Majesty is virtue-less, we should quell chaos and restore order!”

“Slap!”

“When Great Yu is in peril, we should support and save it from downfall!”

Xu Mujun gritted his teeth and said, “Rather than raise arms in rebellion, causing endless warfare, leaving the people destitute!”

“Even if you ascend the throne, you would just be the next tyrant!”

“Father!”

Xu Xuanwu’s left face was red from Xu Mujun’s slap, filled with shame and anger, gritting his teeth, “The world is already in chaos. Even if I don’t step in, more will!”

“Without me, Nanyue County, Yunzhou, Yuezhou, and even nearby Shuzhou, Jiangzhou, will erupt in warfare! The people will suffer!”

“My actions are also…”

“Slap!”

Xu Mujun’s slap left Xu Xuanwu stunned.

“You… are unworthy!”

“Father…”

Xu Xuanwu took a deep breath, the panic in his eyes had long dissipated, replaced by intense killing intent.

His mind suddenly recalled Elder Daoist Ban Yuan’s words.

“If anyone blocks my path, even family can be killed!”

Throughout history, how many Emperors have slaughtered their kin for the throne?

Paths diverging, they cannot collaborate!

He jumped with one hand, his long blade slashing towards Xu Mujun’s neck without hesitation!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep