As the words "the petty scoundrels have arrived" fell from Gu Yuena's lips,
Lu Yunzhou's brows furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Without hesitation, in the blink of an eye, faster than lightning, Lu Yunzhou moved decisively and with razor-sharp precision.
When Lu Yunzhou struck, it was like thunder descending—violent, swift, and unstoppable.
"Sword."
The moment the technique was unleashed, Lu Yunzhou's martial soul—or rather, his life-bound treasure, the Azure Sky Sword—flashed forward.
In just a few breaths, the blade was already drenched in crimson blood.
"I gave you a chance to live, but alas, you've squandered it."
Fixing his gaze on the figures not far ahead, Lu Yunzhou murmured coldly. His eyes brimmed with undisguised disdain and displeasure.
When Lu Yunzhou's voice faded, Gu Yuena followed up, her tone as calm as a still lake:
"Humans have two hearts—one for greed, the other for unwillingness."
The "scoundrels" Gu Yuena referred to were none other than members of the Sword Dynasty from the Western Li Kingdom, who had crossed paths with them just a short while ago.
Earlier, Lu Yunzhou and Gu Yuena had traveled through a spatial tunnel from Dragon Valley to this vast desert. Their appearance had drawn the attention of the Sword Dynasty's people, who became convinced that the pair possessed priceless treasures. Acting on this greed, they attempted to ambush Lu Yunzhou and Gu Yuena.
Yet, as the story unfolded, their ambush failed spectacularly. Not only were they taught a harsh lesson by Gu Yuena, but the merciful Lu Yunzhou even allowed them to leave alive.
But greed and unwillingness are relentless forces. Those same individuals returned, determined to gamble everything in one last desperate attempt to seize the supposed treasures.
Now, their greed and unwillingness had sealed their fate.
When Lu Yunzhou struck, he deliberately left one man barely alive.
That man, gasping his last breaths, mustered his remaining strength to utter a threat:
"The Sword Dynasty… will not… let you go…"
Lu Yunzhou paid him no mind. Instead, he gazed up at the dusky sky above and murmured to himself:
"The hour grows late. Let us find a place to rest for the night. We'll return to the Ethereal Sanctuary at first light. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Gu Yuena nodded slightly and replied, "As you wish."
Before long, under the guidance of Lu Yunzhou's vast and unfathomable spiritual power, the two arrived at an inn—or more accurately, a tavern.
"Two fine rooms," Lu Yunzhou said as he stepped inside, tossing a pouch heavy with gold coins onto the counter.
The sound of his voice and the clinking of gold drew every gaze in the room to him.
The patrons were not ordinary travelers. Each one exuded an aura of death, their bodies shrouded in killing intent. Some carried faint traces of bloodlust, while others were steeped in it. None were innocent, and every hand in the room had been stained with blood.
Sensing the murderous aura around them and the cold gleam in their eyes, Lu Yunzhou immediately understood: they had arrived at the threshold of a trial ground.
This was the City of Slaughter.
"Boy, this isn't a place for living people. Leave now while you still can. If not… you'll be courting death!"
After a brief silence, a burly bald man broke the stillness, his voice heavy with warning. Even as he spoke, he circulated his soul power, clearly preparing for battle.
The others followed suit, unleashing their martial souls and readying themselves for a fight.
Seeing their readiness to attack without provocation, Gu Yuena's eyes narrowed, her expression growing cold.
"Not a place for living people? Perfect, then—I am no mere human."
Her words left the tavern keeper behind the counter visibly shaken, his pupils contracting as he froze in place.
When he finally regained his senses, he stammered, "T-two… two top-grade rooms…"
In this establishment, patrons could drink, feast, and make merry, but there was one rule: no lodging.
To stay overnight here was to declare one's intent to remain in the City of Slaughter—a decision that required eliminating every other challenger present.
Thus, Lu Yunzhou's request for lodging was nothing short of a provocation to everyone in the room.
No sooner had the keeper's trembling words fallen than every "guest" in the tavern—the outlaws and fugitives—attacked in unison.
Though it was unclear why these people had turned on them, Gu Yuena was not one to suffer losses.
Recovering instantly, she countered without hesitation, her response swift and ruthless.
Fire, ice, lightning, wind…
Under her mastery of elemental forces, the room was soon filled with a maelstrom of devastating power. In mere moments, every would-be attacker lay slain, their corpses scattered across the blood-soaked floor.
"C-congratulations… on successfully securing lodging," the tavern keeper stammered, his voice trembling as he confirmed that no one else was left alive.
Swallowing hard, he opened the passageway to the City of Slaughter—a bottomless, pitch-black chasm that seemed to devour all light.
At that moment…
Gu Yuena became acutely aware that something was amiss.
She realized that this was no ordinary rest stop,
And it was certainly no commonplace location.
Her captivating eyes fixed intently on the passageway. While staring at it, she turned to Lu Yunzhou and asked, "Shall we go in and take a look?"
At this point,
Having come this far,
Why not let Lu Yunzhou step in to uncover the truth?
"Let's go."
With these two words as his answer, Lu Yunzhou led Gu Yuena into the passageway.
Before they fully entered the City of Slaughter,
Lu Yunzhou used his magic to send a message about his current situation to Qian Renxue, who was in Spirit Hall.
-----
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON!!!
Join here for advance chapters: patreon.com / madbot635