This was a massacre, though it was not a massacre without any resistance.
The arrow rain from the city guards finally landed. Sharp arrows descended from the sky and pierced through the thick armor of the black figures, causing them to collapse onto the ground.
They were the elites!
Although they could not compare to the Mountain Breaking Army in Stabilisation Constabulary or the Red Pinion Squad in the Divine Constabulary, there were still considered elites. They were elites specializing in guarding the Flame Capital City.
However, General Li was dead, under the merciless sword of Su Qing. They had lost all command and King Duan had also mobilized too many city guards to surround the palace.
This made them feel slightly powerless.
However, they were still resisting the black figures with full force. None of the city guards chose to escape. They faced the Rebirth State individuals and Northern Barbarian army with fervor. They raised their spears in pride and shot their arrows with confidence.
"Kill them all!"
Deafening shouts could be heard echoing throughout Flame Capital City.
This awakened many courtiers and nobles from their deep sleep. They rushed out of their residences in shock as the courtiers picked up their rusted sword in preparation for battle.
"Protect Flame Capital City!"
"The gate is broken. Invaders are in. Kill them all!"
"Quick, no one knows what is happening within the palace as well. Send someone to report the information to the Emperor!"
"Yes!"
Voices rang throughout the city. At the same time, countless figures were maneuvering themselves amongst the streets of Flame Capital City. Some were nobles carrying their small daggers while others were courtiers who were speeding towards the palace with a sword in their hands.
The majestic lion in slumber, the Great Xia Dynasty, had awakened in an instant!
At the city gate of Flame Capital City.
This battle was at its end. There were simply too many black figures. They had an overwhelming advantage in both numbers and strength, evident from the massacre done by the Rebirth State individuals. There was a limit to how much the city guards could do.
However, this did not mean that they weren't strong enough.
This was because fate, timing, location, and luck had forsaken them in this battle. Most importantly, they were soldiers whose job was to listen to their superiors unconditionally.
If not for this reason, Su Qing's orders would definitely be questioned and he would likely be refuted on the spot. However, they were the elites. Naturally, their adherence to orders would be even stronger than that of a normal troop.
Bodies were strewn all over the ground, tainting the city gate a bloody red.
Amongst the black figures, a shadow appeared from a distance. His neat court attire of the Great Xia Dynasty was exceptionally eye-catching.
"Lord Su, you…" a commander stuttered as he saw the incoming Su Qing. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief even at death's door.
Why?
Why would a Chief of the Northern Land Five Constabularies betray the country?
A sword then pierced through his chest.
Su Qing held the sword in his hands as he stared coldly at the horrified commander. He then snickered, "Loyalty is your most fatal flaw!"
"My lord, the east and south gate are already under our control. The west gate is almost done as well. The north gate is the only one still doing a futile struggle!" A black figure then reported to Su Qing.
"My lord, many nobles of Flame Capital City and citizens are charging straight at us!" Another black figure then came forward to report another piece of information to Su Qing.
"Hm, these are all within my predictions. Follow the plan!" Su Qing was not surprised at these two pieces of information as he replied.
"Yes!" The two black figures replied respectfully.
Following which, countless strangely shaped bronze parts appeared in the hands of the black figures. These parts were then quickly attached to the city gate.
The city gate was originally made from stones and minerals. However, after the bronze parts were attached, it quickly emitted a green glow. The intensity of the light then increased as time passed.
In less than 15 minutes, the gate had completely changed. It had turned into a giant bronze door filled with a desolate presence. An intense green light emanated from the bronze door.
"What is that?"
"Green bronze door!"
"What happened to the city gate? Why did it change form?"
The nobles who had just reached the scene stared at the remodeled city gate in shock.
"We have to stop them no matter what they are planning to do!"
"Yes, let's go!"
The nobles and citizens were horrified. However, they continued forward and quickly drew their swords, charging straight towards the city gate.
The black figures were already lying in wait for them in neat formations.
"Kill!" The black figures stared at the approaching nobles and citizens as they shouted. None of them retreated and their eyes shone with a chilling aura.
Another bloody battle began.
Blood spurted across the streets as spears fell onto the ground together with their fallen owners. Sounds of pain and war had shaken this ancient city to its very core, tainting the night with a shade of red.
"Kill them all!"
Amongst the countless war cries, the bronze door transformation was completed. It was shining with a brilliance similar to that of an emerald. The intensity of the color was so intense that it was almost sinister.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
After the fourth whooshing sound, four emerald pillars of light shot up into the horizon. It emerged from all four of the gates, namely the north, south, east, and west gate, before congregating in the air at the midpoint of Flame Capital City.
Following which…
A similarly colored emerald pillar descended from the sky. It traveled at a speed comparable to that of a comet, dashing into the ground with an incredible force.
Boom!
An explosion sound could be heard.
The light beam landed right in the middle of the palace, specifically the throne room!
Within the throne room.
The two figures were finally separated at the moment of the explosion. The golden figure flew back to Lin Mubai's side, as the black figure retreated for a few steps.
And the spot where they separated was a green bronze door.
That was the Near-Life Gate!
The Near-Life Gate that had already closed!
However, the Near-Life Gate was glowing with an emerald brilliance. It was a blinding and sinister brilliance, one that was painful and searing to look at.
Lin Mubai squinted his eyes at this sight.
He naturally saw the emerald light pillar that descended from the horizon. This was the exact beam of light that disrupted the battle between Chen Feihua and Qian Wu.
"Your Majesty" Chen Feihua's gaze was fixated onto the Near-Life Gate. Her expressionless face showed a hint of shock, for the first time in this entire harrowing battle.
"If it is meant to be, It will be!" Lin Mubai shook his head as he said. At the same time, he took a red pill from his pocket and swallowed it.
It had been some time since Lin Mubai suffered injuries.
However, he did not intend to take any medication. That was until he saw this emerald beam of light land into the throne room.
"What is this?" Lin Tianrong stared at the sinister light emanating from the Near-Life Gate. He felt extremely uncomfortable being in such close proximity to it.
He had a bad premonition.
It was a premonition that should not be present and did not make sense. This premonition did not originate purely from the sinister light as well. It was also partly due to the three ferocious beasts who were kneeling on the ground.
The three ferocious beasts kneeled on the ground with their eyes closed as their bodies trembled.
This was a peculiar scene. This was because they had also emerged from the Near-Life Gate. However, they were now bowing to the Near-Life Gate, as though they were paying respect to a higher authority.
"Relax, my Crown Prince. This is when the real show begins!" Qian Wu did not reply Lin Tianrong's question directly. Instead, he glanced at him with a cold stare.
At the same time, Qian Wu moved.
Six brilliant runes appeared on his hand. Countless threads then connected those runes together before they started spinning, forming a wheel of blinding light.
However, Qian Wu did not press the light wheel directly on the ground this time. He merely kept it at his abdomen level as his face turned red.
Belch!
Blood spurted out of Qian Wu's mouth.
A buzzing sound could then be heard. It was as if that sound was generated from the resonance of the heavens, earth, and nature. It had the power to make everyone's mind go blank for a moment.
"This is not right. Is he trying to…" Chen Feihua stared at this scene as an ominous foreboding arose within her. She wanted to stop this from happening, though she was already too late.
This was because the instant blood spurted out of Qian Wu's mouth, that spinning wheel of light was also imprinted onto the Near-Life Gate.
Creak!
The sealed Near-Life Gate came back to life.
However, there was something different. Previously, the gate was shining in a dull bronze-green brilliance, one that was similar to that of the Near-Life Gate's color. However, it was bright emerald this time.
A sinister bright emerald color.
The moment the Near-Life Gate opened, the emerald light was instantly absorbed into the gap, as though it was devouring the essence within this light.
Lin Tianrong stared at this scene in horror.
Eunuch Wei also widened his eyes as his face paled in fear. This was because an exceptionally devastating thought just flashed through his mind.
This applied not only to Eunuch Wei.
This included the First Dragon Envoy Fang Qing, the rest of the Dragon Protection Squad and the royal guards. A thought flashed through everyone's mind.
Something of the legends passed down through folklore.
Creak!
The Near-Life Gate opened upon the creaking sound of the heavy door. The bronze gate had already lost all its emerald brilliance. The desolate and ancient presence from its dull appearance filled the entire room.
At that moment…
A figure appeared from the Near-Life Gate.
He did not have the murderous stare the beasts possessed when the appeared. There was also no deafening roar heralding his appearance. There was peaceful and suffocating silence.
The figure flickered within the Near-Life Gate. It swayed from the left to right, disappearing and revealing himself again and again.
Time seemed to have stopped at that moment. No one dared to speak as their eyes were fixated on the flickering shadow.
Finally…
That shadow stopped moving.
It stopped right in the middle of the Near-Life Gate.
That was a tiny shadow. Compared to the huge Near-Life Gate, this figure seemed tiny. If one were to compare him to the size of the ferocious beasts which appeared from the same door, he would even be insignificant.
However, despite this unassuming stature, Lin Mubai and Chen Feihua stared at the figure in the Near-Life Gate with apprehension. They clenched their fists tightly in response.
A cool night breeze blew across the throne room.
Sleeves of their loose court attire fluttered amongst the wind.
At that moment, that figure moved once again. It slowly and casually walked out of the Near-Life Gate, landing on the dilapidated ground.
There was no rumbling sound of a heavyweight stepping onto the ground.
There was also no giant sharp claws attached to him.
It was a human foot, a foot that was wearing a clean white boot not tainted by any dust.
As this foot stepped forward, the figure revealed himself from the Near-Life Gate.
He was in the shape of a human.
He had a slender body and wore a pair of pristine white boots. He looked exactly like a scholar and had a beast-shaped jade hanging from his waist.
He looked just like a studious and gentle scholar.
He had extremely fair skin and exquisite features. However, no one treated him as an ordinary scholar.
This was because his eyes looked extremely sinister, like that of the devil.
The sinister emerald light once present on the Near-Life Gate seemed to flicker ever so often in his eyes. It seemed to give off an authority that one could not resist, making people involuntarily offer their respect. Most importantly, there seemed to be an "injury" on his forehead.
More specifically, it looked like an eye.
A closed eye that looked just like an injury.
Apart from that, there was also two curved horns on his head, each of them engraved with countless complicated and intricate patterns. A faint golden brilliance seemed to be surging within those carvings.
It was extremely silent.
Lin Mubai and Chen Feihua stared at the devilish-looking guy that appeared from the Near-Life Gate and subconsciously leaned closer to one another.
The royal guards and Dragon Protection Squad also paled at this sight.
They did not retreat in the face of this terrifying enemy. However, they did not advance as well!
Flame Capital City.
Within a giant residence.
The decorations in this residence were clearly different than that of the other luxurious residences in Flame Capital City. It was still luxurious, nonetheless, though instead of the resplendent and shining theme that the rest of the city was obsessed with, this looked more like an otherworldly paradise.
One could smell the fragrance of flowers, see deep and beautiful alleyways and even have a game at an ancient chess board or take walk in the intricate courtyard filled with docile Green Mountain Tigers. This giant residence was elegant and peculiar.
An old guy sat in the middle of this residence. He was clad in a long robe and his skinny stature made him look extremely frail.
However…
This was the person that garnered the respect of everyone in the Great Xia Dynasty. This was because he had witnessed the uprising of the Great Xia Dynasty. He was the living history of the country, the uncle of Lin Mubai.
He was King Liqin!
"Hm?" He suddenly emitted a faint voice. Following which, he opened his eyes immediately as the murkiness within them instantly disappeared, turning into a blinding brilliance.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Violet…
The seven colors intertwined beautifully within his eyes.
At the same time, King Liqin stood up and slowly straightened his posture. He then stared into the horizon and the sky that had returned to its original dark hue.
"The Great Xia Dynasty has enjoyed years of peace. Although we are prosperous, it has been too peaceful and undisturbed. The court is backward in thinking and the nobles are gaining too much power. Everyone is only thinking about self-preservation and not self-improvement. This is the result of our arrogance!"