A surge of spiritual energy swept across a thousand-zhang radius.
Within this area, buildings were reduced to dust by the immense energy, massive fissures tore through the ground, and hundreds of civilians were crushed under the oppressive force of a Spirit Mansion cultivator's might!
The intervention of a Spirit Mansion expert caused the entire Shuyang Upper Palace to tremble violently!
Anshi unleashed his full power, manifesting two Spirit Mansions in midair.
He had made up his mind: before the Great Rune's upper Rune Generals could arrive, he would kill both Spirit Tamers and all five hundred Rune Guards, then seize the opportunity to escape Fengfu!
No matter why the Rune Sage King had yet to act, this was Anshi's only chance of survival!
A whirlwind formed around him, charged with formidable spiritual energy. One of his Spirit Mansions soared into the sky, descending directly toward the five hundred Rune Guards and two Spirit Tamers.
The full-force strike of a Spirit Mansion expert could wreak unimaginable devastation on Fengfu City.
However, Anshi's plan was destined to fail. Just as his Spirit Mansion was about to strike, Jin Qiu, the royal attendant, casually tossed a jade slip into the air.
The jade slip hovered, its ribbon unfurling, and the slip opened.
A segment of ink-black lines, seemingly imbued with life, flowed out from the jade slip.
The lines floated into the sky, intertwining, connecting, and extending to form what appeared to be a simple rune.
This rune was entirely different from the complex ones employed by the Spirit Tamers earlier. It was composed of just a few strokes.
Moreover, the lines were not smooth, resembling a child's casual doodle without any hint of mystery.
Yet this unassuming rune manifested in the sky.
Above the Shuyang Upper Palace, dark clouds gathered, lightning intertwined in the heavens, and fierce winds swept through the area!
A vague and inexplicable sense of foreboding crept into Anshi's heart, but he remained focused on killing his enemies and fleeing with the divine statue.
Even the cultists of the Divine Worship Hall who stood behind him were expendable in his eyes.
As long as he possessed the Yin Sovereign Statue, he could rebuild his power within a century, even on barren soil.
Compared to the statue and his own life, the contributions of these Divine Worship Hall cultists were insignificant.
With all his strength, he drove his Spirit Mansion downward. The earth cracked, the heavens darkened—Fengfu would suffer immense calamity if the strike landed!
But fate was against him. The simple rune in the sky transformed the heavens!
Countless bolts of lightning coalesced into a massive thunder blade, cleaving downward toward Anshi's dark Spirit Mansion.
The thunder blade descended, illuminating the world in blinding white light.
The intense lightning transformed night into day over Fengfu City.
Throughout the city, countless experts looked up, gazing in awe at the thunder blade descending upon the Shuyang Upper Palace.
For the first time in over a century, the Rune Sage King had acted. Even a casually drawn rune inspired awe and reverence across the city.
The thunder blade fell with unparalleled force, its twisted lightning arcs slashing toward Anshi's Spirit Mansion.
Anshi's Spirit Mansion, descending with violent momentum, froze mid-air as it was locked in place by the thunder blade's killing intent. No matter how Anshi's spiritual consciousness roared, the Spirit Mansion remained motionless.
Finally, the blade struck the Spirit Mansion.
The contact between the blade and the dark Spirit Mansion caused the lightning to intensify a hundredfold.
In an instant, the lightning surged across the Spirit Mansion, ravaging its structure.
Anshi let out a blood-curdling scream, his face contorted in agony as his second Spirit Mansion trembled.
Cracks like a spiderweb spread across the dark Spirit Mansion.
Moments later, the Spirit Mansion shattered!
At first, it splintered into shards resembling black glass, still faintly glowing with spiritual energy.
Then, the fragments disintegrated into dust, dissipating entirely under the violent lightning.
Anshi's body began to melt, droplets of corpse fluid falling into the fissures below.
Unlike before, these drops did not form new limbs or return to Anshi. Instead, they evaporated into smoke and disappeared.
In mere moments, half of Anshi's body had disintegrated, leaving only part of his chest, neck, and head intact.
But the lightning wasn't done. It formed chains that bound Anshi, sealing his movements.
Furious, Anshi roared, condensing several drops of corpse fluid into a menacing black sphere, which he hurled at the chains.
The chains met the sphere without hesitation, shattering it instantly and piercing into Anshi's body.
He lowered his head, staring at the lightning chains embedded in his neck. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't make a sound.
Turning toward the path leading to the Divine Worship Hall, he saw his final hope fade. His body dissolved, becoming smoke that scattered into the wind.
A Spirit Mansion expert capable of moving mountains and destroying cities was slain by a single rune from the Rune Sage King!
All of this happened in just a few breaths!
The remaining onlookers were stunned, unable to process what had occurred.
The cultists of the Divine Worship Hall couldn't believe that Anshi, a Spirit Mansion expert who cut down Spirit Tamers with ease, had lasted less than ten breaths against the thunder blade.
Meanwhile, Qi Fuce and the Rune Guards gripped their spears tightly, their eyes filled with fervent worship.
Even Jin Qiu, who had always served by the Rune Sage King's side, was astonished. He had never imagined that the scholarly king, who loved books and chess, could possess such overwhelming power.
As a member of the Great Rune bloodline, Jin Qiu was familiar with the Rune Sage King's legendary feats.
But never had he imagined that his king could use such a seemingly ordinary rune to annihilate two Spirit Mansions and a powerful dark cultivator.
He recognized the rune—the Thunder Blade Rune. Among the many rune techniques of the Great Rune Kingdom, it was rated merely "acceptable."
Anyone who entered the Rune Academy could learn it, and its power was unimpressive in Jin Qiu's view.
Yet today, he saw his king use it to slay a Spirit Mansion expert!
His reverence only grew deeper.
However, this awe didn't last long. With Anshi dead and the storm dissipating, the remaining twenty or so Divine Worship Hall cultists exchanged glances before turning toward Qi Fuce, Jin Qiu, and the Rune Guards.
Determined to survive, they prepared for one final struggle.
The cultists' bodies underwent horrifying transformations: rotting flesh, swelling forms, and grotesque mutations. Some became giant centipedes, others transformed into three-eyed crows with wings lined with ghastly, unseeing heads.
The atmosphere grew chilling and eerie.
Yet Qi Fuce and Jin Qiu appeared unperturbed. Jin Qiu even stepped aside, leaving room for the Rune Guards behind him.
Qi Fuce pointed his spear, a sinister grin on his face. "Form the Rune Guard battle array! Let these creatures see how, with the battle array's blessing, ordinary soldiers can slaughter even their so-called strong!"
The guards roared in unison. Their innate runes activated, and unique symbols emerged from each of them, merging into a complex array.
The array descended, enveloping the guards, infusing them with tremendous power.
"Attack!"
Qi Fuce's spear trembled as the Rune Guards advanced in unison, their movements as one, their strength united.
The monstrous cultists faltered, taken aback by the sudden surge in power.
A battle array? How could these weak soldiers become so formidable under its influence?
But they would never find an answer.
Because they were destined to die here!