The Overlord killed a Black Dragon Guard in the Internal Organs Realm with one stroke of his ax. Everyone at the scene sighed with mixed feelings.

Tantai Xuan even felt hesitant…

Because he realized that he was too weak to compete with the Overlord in terms of physical strength.

Could he really defeat a man as courageous as the Overlord in a war in the future?

Tantai Xuan took in a deep breath.

They could hear the thunderous roar of the furious Black Dragon deep inside the Imperial City.

He pursed his lips while staring into the Imperial City.

Was that the dragon the young emperor kept?

The Black Dragon conferred dragon scales on the Thirteen Black Dragon Armored Men and let them enter the Internal Organs Realm. But it was fake after all.

“Wait for it… I will chop off your head.”

The Overlord raised the ax in his hand and pointed it at the Imperial City as though he was conversing with the Black Dragon.

In the distance…

Liu Hao's face tightened.

“Let's go together and surround the Overlord!”

“Black Dragon Guard, block the Xuanwu Guard and the Xiang Family's Army!” Liu Hao shouted in a harsh voice.

He firmly gripped the Dragon's Thorn, clenched the horse with his knees, and kicked the horse into a fast trot, advancing forward with mud splattering behind.

The other eleven Black Dragon Armored Men also had black dragon scales appearing on their foreheads.

They followed Liu Hao and charged forward in V formation.

The black dragon scale on Liu Hao's forehead suddenly radiated a brilliant light. The small, densely packed dragon scales covered Liu Hao's body as though he was wearing a dragon armor.

The twelve men stormed at the Overlord like twelve black rays of light.

Confident and unflinching, the Overlord held the ax in one hand and the s.h.i.+eld in the other. He stared directly at the incoming twelve armored men with his head held high.

The sound of hoofbeats exploded on the field like a sudden rainstorm.

The force of twelve cultivators in the Internal Organs Realm, even fake ones, were mighty and astonis.h.i.+ng.

Besides, they were the Black Dragon Armored Men who achieved the breakthrough with the aid of the scales of the Black Dragon. At this moment, they were almost the personification of the Black Dragon.

The armored men spurred on horseback toward the Overlord like a Black Dragon.

The Overlord raised his chin with an imperial arrogance and the domineering bearing of a real cultivator of the Internal Organs Realm. He spun around in a circle and wielded the ax horizontally.

It was like a sudden clap of thunder that came out of nowhere.

The twelve Black Dragon Armored Men, including Liu Hao, all pulled the reins of their horses to slow them down.

As the horses tried to slow down, skidding on the ground before stopping, the armored men were thrown into the air as if a string had pulled them from behind.

The terrifying force of the Overlord's ax almost turned day into night.

The twelve galloping horses were cut in half by the ax.

The ferrous stench of blood permeated the air on the long street of the capital city.

The twelve Black Dragon Armored Men bent their bodies in the air.

Holding the Dragon's Thorns and covered by dragon scales, they were like dragons baring their teeth and claws in the sky.

They plunged forcefully.

Bang!

The deafening sound engulfed the long street of the capital city. Waves of invisible impact blew away the snow and the bodies.

The Overlord held up his s.h.i.+eld with tremendous strength and sent the twelve armored men flying into the air.

The twelve men landed and charged at the Overlord again with black Spirit Qi surging around their bodies.

Their dark shadows flashed on the long street.

The horrifying energy shattered the buildings and created craters on the road.

The snow falling from the sky was pulverized into a fine dust.

Fighting against twelve men of the Internal Organs Realm, the Overlord was even more fearless and fierce…

As if he were battling a real black dragon.

Spirit Qi swirls kept forming on the Overlord's body and replenished his Spirit Qi rapidly.

Tapped by the Overlord's ax, an armored man covered by black scales was flung away while coughing up blood.

The Overlord brought the man back with his ax and smashed him with the s.h.i.+eld. The man died immediately, his organs crushed and blood gus.h.i.+ng out.

The battle far away was gruesome too.

The long street of the capital city became the battlefield of the armies of cultivators.

The Xuanwu Guard and the Xiang Family's Army joined hands to fight against the Black Dragon Guard.

It was mortal combat without any room for mercy or hesitation.

They used lethal force as long as they had the chance.

They tore the enemies' bodies apart with Spirit Qi.

Many people from the Black Dragon Guard died a horrible death. The Xuanwu Guard and the Xiang Family's Army certainly suffered significant casualties as well.

The soldiers of the Great Zhou might not have the strongest will to fight. But it didn't mean the Black Dragon Guard was weak too.

As Yuwen Xiu's trump card, the Black Dragon Guard was very powerful. Besides… with the help of the Black Dragon, Yuwen Xiu raised cultivators much faster than Western Liang or the Great Xuan.

Therefore, the alliance between Western Liang and the Great Xuan was a close match for the Black Dragon Guard.

Xu Chu managed to stand up even though a Black Dragon Guard had severely injured him. Coughing up blood, his eyes bloodshot, he swung the only iron ball left and returned to the battle.

The Overlord was not the only valiant fighter in Western Liang. Every soldier of Western Liang was a lionhearted man who wasn't afraid of death!

Driven by Xu Chu's Spirit Qi, the mace spun like a windmill. Any Black Dragon Guard who came close was crushed.

Xu Chu, the fiercest general in Western Liang, deserved his reputation after all.

Jiang Li also held his silver spear and joined the fight with great determination.

He used to be the commander of the Black Dragon Guard.

Nevertheless, Jiang Li later learned that he had no emotional attachment with the Black Dragon Guard after being chased by them mercilessly.

His heart bled whenever he thought about how those older soldiers died to help him escape.

He was infuriated.

Even so, the more he felt the rage, the calmer he got.

An exploding sound was made by the silver spear and pierced through a Black Dragon Guard.

Jiang Li led the Xuanwu Guard to kill the enemies methodically.

The military formation intensified the force of the Xuanwu Guard. Like mountain torrents, they pushed the Black Dragon Guard back.

The military strategy in the age of cultivators had changed as well.

Leading the Xuanwu Guard, Jiang Li was as good as a cultivator in the Internal Organs Realm. His silver armor was covered with the blood of the Black Dragon Guard.

However, the Overlord was the one who would play a decisive role in this battle.

Because…

The Overlord had a significant impact on the situation as he was fighting against the twelve Black Dragon Armored Men alone.

Sitting on his horse, Tantai Xuan watched the Overlord intently. This fight broadened his horizon and made him understand what real battles between cultivators were like.

The fight between Bai Qingniao's Fire Phoenix and the Lord of Xirong outside of Tianhan Gate was feminine and graceful, not as horrifying and ghastly as the Overlord's fight against the Black Dragon Armored Men.

Liu Hao was anxious.

He was astonished deep down. They were twelve cultivators in the Internal Organs Realm.

Although they only entered the Internal Organs Realm with the help from the Black Dragon… How was it possible that they couldn't defeat the Overlord alone?

The Overlord tempered four of his internal organs and might have a larger capacity for Spirit Qi. But they should have dominated him by sheer force of numbers!

The Overlord roared with laughter.

Exhilarated, he fought to his heart's content.

He even felt like he was about to temper the fifth organ.

Once he tempered all five organs, he would be at the peak of the Internal Organs Realm. He would stand a chance to shoot for the Heavenly Lock Realm Lu Fan had mentioned as soon as he developed elemental Spirit Qi. As for the Golden Elixir Realm… He didn't care for the realm of the Alien Evil Spirit.

Liu Hao's face was solemn. He didn't dare to slack at the critical moment of life and death.

Liu Hao bellowed, “Disperse!”

“Use the Dragon's Thorn Formation!”

Eleven armored men retreated at the same time and increased the distance between them and the Overlord. They ran around the Overlord nonstop, encircling him.

The Overlord wasn't concerned.

Spirit Qi swirled around his heart. He was tempering the fifth organ.

A sonic boom echoed on the battlefield.

Liu Hao raised the Dragon's Thorn in his hand and tossed it forward. Like a black ray of light, the sharp spear rushed to the Overlord, intending to impale him.

All the other Black Dragon Armored Men did the same.

The black rays of light closed in on the Overlord.

The Overlord raised the s.h.i.+eld and pushed it forward, blasting away the black spears.

Liu Hao and the others retrieved each of their Dragon's Thorns and threw it out again with Spirit Qi wrapped around it.

However, the Overlord didn't give them a second chance.

He chopped a Dragon's Thorn into pieces with his ax.

He had a breach point. An explosive sound resounded on the ground underneath the Overlord's feet.

Then his body ejected and landed near a Black Dragon Armored Man, who was covered in dense scales. Unafraid, the Overlord banged his head against the Black Dragon Armored Man's head.

His ax swept across and chopped the man in half!

Liu Hao's face became ashen with shock!

Was that the frightening force of a real cultivator in the Internal Organs Realm?!

The dragon roared wrathfully deep inside the Imperial City every time a Black Dragon Armored Man died.

Finally, Liu Hao couldn't hold on any longer.

As the head of the Thirteen Black Dragon Armored Men, he used to think that he could be a match for the best cultivators like the Overlord or disciples of White Jade City as soon as he entered the Internal Organs Realm.

However…

The reality dealt him a heavy blow.

He… was not even close.

His eyes sparkled with a touch of madness and hope.

He took out a letter. He already read the letter on his way here and knew perfectly how it could crush the Overlord.

It was his chance!

It was a chance given to him by the young emperor!

“Overlord! No one can compete with your valor and strength! Nonetheless… You probably never know that… The person closest to you and whom you love the most, in fact, wants to take your life the whole time!”

“I heard that you fight for the throne just to impress the beautiful woman! I wonder how you would think when you read this letter!”

Using the Spirit Qi, Liu Hao sent his voice into the Overlord's ears.

Even the snow flying in the air seemed to pause for a second.

A letter wrapped in the Spirit Qi dashed to the Overlord.

The Overlord didn't bother to respond to Liu Hao's words at first.

He was going to rip the incoming letter with his ax as well.

However…

The Overlord caught a glimpse of the words on the envelope.

“To Luo Mingsang.”

The familiar name stopped the ax in the Overlord's hand. He grabbed the envelope.

Just as the Overlord took hold of the envelope…

A feeling of elation rose in Liu Hao's heart!

“This is the moment!”

“Kill!”

Liu Hao gripped the Dragon's Thorn tightly. The Spirit Qi around his body exploded altogether.

Like a black ray of light, he plunged at the Overlord.

The Overlord didn't seem to pay any attention to him at all. He shook off the envelope and read the letter calmly.

Liu Hao was thrilled.

At the speed of light…

He came to the Overlord's side.

He suddenly raised the Dragon's Thorn in his hand.

“Do you feel despair?”

“Overlord… You poured your heart into pleasing her. Yet she is only playing you…”

“Your love and devotion were met with her performance!”

“You never realized that your woman is only a p.a.w.n placed by the Master to scheme against you!” Liu Hao said in an icy voice.

He wanted to arouse the Overlord's curiosity. It was the only way for him to have a chance.

The Overlord seemed to be detached from the battlefield.

Fizz!

The sharp Dragon's Thorn suddenly pierced the Overlord's lower ribs and then was lodged in his body.

“It worked!”

Liu Hao was elated.

He… killed Xiang Shaoyun, the Overlord of West County and the most valiant cultivator in the world!

Suddenly…

Overlord said in a sad voice, “I knew it…”

Liu Hao was stunned.

The Overlord's dark, cold, and unfathomable eyes s.h.i.+fted on Liu Hao and unnerved him…

“You…”

Liu Hao opened his mouth.

The Overlord raised the s.h.i.+eld and then smashed it down on the guard.

Liu Hao fell on the ground, head bleeding.

“Who the f*ck are you? You don't deserve to kill Xiang Shaoyun!!”

“You want this mere letter to affect me?”

“You probably don't know how I entered the Internal Organ Realm,” the Overlord spoke emotionlessly.

Liu Hao indeed didn't know that the Overlord endured severe injuries when fighting against the Buddhist monk on the battlefield of West County.

Liu Hao's spear was hardly anything for the Overlord.

The s.h.i.+eld broke down again.

Liu Hao coughed up blood.

The Overlord folded the letter carefully.

The sense of oppression around him became more and more terrifying…

The Overlord raised the ax, while Liu Hao was struggling under the s.h.i.+eld.

The Overlord brought the ax down without even looking…

Chopping off Liu Hao's head, which rolled to the side thereafter.

When Liu Hao died…

The morale of the Black Dragon Armored Men plummeted.

The Overlord raised his head and roared at the sky.

He remembered the ominous result of the fortune-telling conducted by Lv Dongxuan on Beiluo Lake Island.

In addition to the young woman playing the pipa near Lv Dongxuan…

The Overlord already had plenty of speculations in his mind.

Even so, the Overlord was still inflamed.

He turned his head and looked at the outside of the capital city as if his eyes could penetrate the ancient thick city wall and see the elegant figure in the horse carriage.

He thought about everything that happened in the past.

The anger on the Overlord's face was replaced by sorrow.

He vowed to offer her the world. He would keep his promise.

Shrouded by Demonic Qi, the Spirit Qi swirl near the Overlord's heart condensed all of a sudden.

He reached the peak of the Internal Organs Realm!

The rest of the Black Dragon Armored Men wanted to flee.

They no longer had the willingness to fight. Liu Hao's death crushed their confidence.

The Overlord could not be defeated!

Fizz!

The Overlord was like a demon. No, he already chose Demonic Cultivation.

One after another, heads flew into the air.

The Overlord waded through the blood, bodies piling behind him, as blood continued dripping from his ax.

The Black Dragon Guard fighting against the Xuanwu Guard and the Xiang Family's Army realized that all members of the Thirteen Black Dragon Armored Men have been slaughtered.

The expressions on their faces changed as their courage dissipated. They turned to beat a hasty retreat in the direction of the Imperial City.

The cold snow was blowing in the wind.

Tantai Xuan rode the horse to Liu Hao's headless body.

He got off the horse and saw the bloodstained letter slip out of Liu Hao's clothes.

He bent down and picked up the letter.

He saw a familiar name on the envelope.

Tantai Xuan smiled with surprise.

Then, he folded the letter, tore it into pieces, and scattered it in the snowfield.

Imperial garden.

Wearing the golden armor and sitting on the bluestone, Yuwen Xiu's body trembled for a moment.

The old eunuch stood on the side quietly with his head low. He held the fly-whisk and stared at the snow on the ground.

The Black Dragon rolled and roared in the water.

Yuwen Xiu was so calm that he almost smiled. Lips curling up, he stood up and turned to the Black Dragon.

The enraged Black Dragon stopped thras.h.i.+ng and looked into Yuwen Xiu's eyes.

Behind him…

It was the sound of the Black Dragon Guard suffering one defeat after another.

The Black Dragon Guard retreated into the Imperial Garden. Yuwen Xiu faced them with his back.

He gazed at the Black Dragon and placed his hand on the Emperor's Sword on his belt. His other hand lifted and caressed the black dragon's scales.

He chuckled. What a familiar scene.

Rebellion army, imperial garden, Black Dragon…

Being driven into a dead end.

The snow fell quietly on the ground.

Yuwen Xiu stroked the Black Dragon and said in a soft voice, “They all lost.”

“I… can only depend on you.”

“Go.”

His voice echoed in the garden.

A gust of wind picked up.

The Black Dragon that was petted by Yuwen Xiu flew out abruptly. Claws scratching the ground, it pounced on the retreating Black Dragon Guard.

A roar of the dragon reverberated throughout the ancient Imperial City.