General Illion cursed at the emperor's slyness. The location had driven his soldiers' morale low, not to mention they were already tired from the long voyage across the ocean. Revealing Lord Korogin and Sir Winstin was the final nail on the head. Their battle spirit was thoroughly suppressed by the Xingyuu Empire. Of course, he expected this was a trap, which was why he urged Elizabeth to leave. But Elizabeth insisted on coming. Pushing back these extraneous thoughts, he focused on stabilizing the battle. He sent his orders out quickly as the army braced themselves.
The situation instantly erupted as the Xingyuu soldiers charged into the Alzar ranks. Clashes of metal, roaring battle cries, and resentful agonizing screams were heard in all directions. Blood was splattered everywhere, painting the white snowy landscape into a deep shade of red. With the stage that the emperor prepared, the Alzar Kingdom was being beaten blue and black. They were being slaughtered. The commanders were stunned silent. By doing this, the emperor was thoroughly sacrificing his daughters! He sacrificed his daughters to land a decisive blow! This ruthlessness… this cruelty… this decisiveness… It was something that even made these calculating commanders sigh. Some could not help but feel a tinge of pity for the Twin Imperial Princesses.
Elizabeth brandished her bow, Benedict and Shirley drew their weapons, while Freon held his wand. The Royal Guards around them also burst into action, forming a wall that protected them. Under General Illion's orders, they were to slowly retreat to the rear. Truthfully speaking, Elizabeth had an inkling that this would happen. In her mind, Emperor Lianghu was willing to do anything to exact revenge. Knowing that, she came fully prepared to fight. The arrow nocked on her bow was pointed at the emperor and she unhesitatingly shot it. One had to remember that the last time she used this bow was several months ago, during the fall of New Havens. The appearance of her weapon was a show of her resolve and fury! She wanted him to pay!
But how could her actions go unnoticed? Even on this hectic battlefield, all eyes were pointed at her. The emperor had no need to lift a single finger. The Imperial Sentinels around him swiftly dealt with the threat. Emperor Lianghu gave a disdainful expression, as if criticizing her futile efforts. Unfortunately, that simple action cost precious time, time for Elizabeth to retreat. The entire defensive line had already drawn back, leaving Elizabeth's group alone. General Illion's face darkened by many shades. He really had not expected her to be so impulsive! The next stage of his plans was naturally halted.
Emperor Lianghu also did not expect this. If she retreated with General Illion just then, it would have been a dozen times more difficult to capture her. Although she was guarded by several Royal Guards, that meant nothing to Lianghu. How else did Lord Korogin and Sir Winstin fall? The same was happening again with the Imperial Sentinels charging to surround Elizabeth. The drastic reversal of circumstance happened in a second. Elizabeth realized her mistake, but it was too late to regret.
Cardinal Hui, Shaolong, and Loujin stepped forth, their auras bellowing towards the sky. As soon as the combined aura crashed into Elizabeth, she felt extremely short of breath. It was like a mountain crushing on her chest. Experts of their caliber could suppress their auras to undetectable levels before erupting like a volcano. Sir Winstin did the same thing when she met the former in Castle Reinhard. She even doubted the man was a Royal Guard with his tranquil, nonexistent presence. However, restraining their aura was extremely difficult. It was like trying to fool someone into thinking a lion was as harmless as a kitten. Only people who have reached a profound mastery in their body could achieve it. Naturally, the three Cardinals had reached the pinnacle of Perception Realm! When their aura rolled out, it was like facing three ferocious beasts instead!
Despite the absence of Cardinal Yongyu, and Shaolong's injuries from the fight with Sir Winstin, their power was still not to be underestimated. The Royal Guards protecting Elizabeth were gripped with anxiety. Their opponents were enough to even fell Sir Winstin! However, one had to say, there were no cowards. Despite their fear, they held strong, arranged themselves into a formation, and dashed forward. As long as the three Cardinals stood in their way, there was no escape! Although the chance they could break through the encirclement was miniscule, they were willing to gamble their lives. That was the spirit of a Royal Guard!
Three Royal Guards charged up while two stayed by Elizabeth's side. Their swords were glistening with the intent to exchange life for life! Cardinal Loujin looked down on them, both physically and mentally. He was a behemoth of a man, more akin to a wild bear. His large shield was like a tree trunk as he wielded it effortlessly. Just imagining the sheer strength behind those biceps was enough for one to shiver. He was easily twice the size of any Royal Guard and intercepted two with his shield. No matter how they moved, Loujin hounded them. They could not get past his shield, much less scratch him! It was incredibly humiliating!
The third Royal Guard circled around Loujin to flank him, but Cardinal Shaolong stood in his way. Although Shaolong had yet to recover to his peak, he was more than capable enough of fending off a single Royal Guard. Otherwise, it would be truly shameful. Holding his famed saber, he radiated a lethal coldness and clashed with his opponent. In less than a second, a dozen blows were exchanged, the ferocity and speed of which made spectators speechless. Only Perception Realm experts could see what was happening, yet everyone could see Shaolong's cool expression. Everything was under his control. Everyone was forced to re-evaluate the power the Four Cardinals possessed!
Cardinal Hui did not dally about. His target was Elizabeth, not these side characters. He held his long bow and nocked an arrow. Every action was smooth and elegant. His eagle-like eyes were scanning the battlefield with his senses capturing every detail. All the sudden, he moved! He shot six arrows with impeccable precision at the three Royal Guards! Each aimed at precisely their blind spots! The three Royal Guards flinched reflexively. Their senses were screaming out in danger! They simultaneously turned to block or dodge the arrows, except it was a death sentence. How could Loujin or Shaolong let go of this opportunity?
Regardless of how strong the Royal Guards were, they were a far cry from the Four Cardinal's teamwork. The three Cardinals had perfect coordination. One Royal Guard turned to hack away the two arrows. He succeeded, but it gave Loujin a golden opportunity. The bear-like man slammed his shield with unstoppable momentum, giving the Royal Guard no time to react. The poor man instantly had all his bones shattered and his organs exploded. He died a horrible death. The other person facing Loujin was terrified and the arrows all found their mark. The third was decapitated with a single stroke by Shaolong on the side. An instant! The battle was decided in an instant!