It took a long time for Chu Yuqin to finally snap out of her daze.
A glint of killing intent flashed through her eyes. Since one of the ninth-rank assassins who had tried to kill Lu Chen was already dead, she absolutely couldn't let the other one go.
She still didn't know what exactly Lu Chen's weapon was, but the fact that it allowed an ordinary person to kill a ninth-rank martial artist meant it was something truly extraordinary.
If news of such a weapon spread, it would shake the entire world.
Bai Hong was still in shock over Liu Tong's sudden death. The moment he snapped back to his senses, he instinctively wanted to flee.
But in that brief moment of distraction, it was as if rain had begun to fall from the sky, accompanied by the illusion of drifting flower petals.
In the next instant, white streaks of light surrounded Bai Hong.
His expression changed drastically. "Not good!"
At that moment, Chu Yuqin whispered softly—
"Nine-Sword Flower Rain."
The illusionary rain and flower petals suddenly turned into a storm, ruthlessly slashing toward Bai Hong.
In battles between ninth-rank warriors, the outcome was often decided in a split second.
A moment's distraction could spell disaster.
Chu Yuqin had seized Bai Hong's lapse in focus and immediately unleashed her most powerful sword technique.
As Bai Hong's body slowly collapsed before her, Lu Chen was momentarily stunned.
Chu Yuqin's sword was so fast that he hadn't even seen what happened.
By the time he processed it, all he saw were streaks of white sword light flashing past the ninth-rank assassin—then, he was already lying on the ground.
So this is the strength of a ninth-rank martial artist?
Truly powerful!
Although Lu Chen himself had just killed a ninth-rank expert, he had done so with a firearm.
Deep down, he still yearned to improve his own martial abilities.
After all, guns were external tools.
If he caught someone off guard, using a gun to kill a ninth-rank warrior was as easy as slaughtering a chicken.
But if the enemy was prepared, killing a ninth-rank expert might not be so effortless.
Especially after witnessing Chu Yuqin's sword speed, his earlier pride in killing a ninth-rank martial artist vanished completely.
The assassins from Blood Moon Tower, seeing both of their elders dead, knew the mission had failed. They immediately tried to flee.
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
The eighth-rank warrior who had been fighting Li Feng also realized that if he stayed, he would likely die as well. Without hesitation, he turned and fled into the forest.
Seeing them attempt to escape, Chu Yuqin coldly ordered the guards and royal sentinels, "Kill them all! Leave no survivors!"
In an instant, the tide of battle shifted.
Li Feng led his men and the royal sentinels in a fierce pursuit, cutting down the remaining assassins.
Although many of the assassins were third or fourth-rank warriors, they had been sent primarily to stall the guards and sentinels, giving the elders enough time to assassinate Lu Chen.
Now that the mission had failed, their only option was to run.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen noticed the fleeing eighth-rank assassin.
Stepping out of the carriage, he pulled out his Barrett sniper rifle.
He hadn't used this weapon yet and wanted to test it out.
Chu Yuqin had originally intended to chase after the fleeing assassin, but when she saw the black, rod-like object in Lu Chen's hands, she froze for a moment.
She then watched as Lu Chen quickly lay down on the ground, aiming the strange black object at the running assassin.
Boom!
A deep, thunderous sound rang out.
In the distance, the eighth-rank assassin's head exploded in an instant.
Chu Yuqin stood frozen.
From such a long distance, an eighth-rank martial artist was gone in an instant.
She had watched Lu Chen grow up, but she had never known he possessed such terrifying weapons.
Eighth-rank? Ninth-rank?
Before Lu Chen, they were nothing more than targets.
Even as a ninth-rank martial artist, Chu Yuqin couldn't help but break out in cold sweat as she stared at the black metal weapon in his hands.
Eighth and ninth-rank warriors were strong enough to fight against grandmasters.
Some of the more powerful ninth-rank experts could even battle grandmasters to a standstill.
And yet, those same highly sought-after warriors had been slaughtered like livestock by Lu Chen—who wasn't even a martial artist.
Chu Yuqin knew that Lu Chen had never trained in martial arts.
She had protected him since childhood, never wanting him to endure the hardships of cultivation.
Yet now, an ordinary person wielding an unknown weapon had instantly slain high-level martial artists.
What did this mean?
It meant that if such weapons became widespread, the entire martial world would collapse.
From that moment on, the status of martial artists would plummet.
After a long pause, Chu Yuqin finally came back to her senses.
This wasn't the time to dwell on such matters—eliminating the remaining assassins was the priority.
With that, she leaped forward, charging toward the remaining Blood Moon Tower assassins.
Without their ninth-rank elders to protect them, the third-rank assassins were as helpless as ants before her.
Wherever Chu Yuqin passed, bodies fell in her wake.
Before long, the assassins had been completely wiped out.
Of course, Lu Chen's side had also suffered heavy losses.
Only about a hundred of Li Feng's guards remained, and the surviving royal sentinels numbered no more than fifty or sixty.
As Lu Chen gazed at the bloodstained battlefield, he felt no emotion.
He understood that the path of an emperor was paved with blood.
Today's battle was only the beginning.
As he stood lost in thought, a graceful figure appeared behind him.
"Chen'er, be honest with me—are you hiding something from your aunt?"
Chu Yuqin's tone carried a trace of grievance.
She had watched over Lu Chen since he was a child.
She had even managed most of the affairs in the prince's residence.
And yet, she had no idea when Lu Chen had acquired such terrifying weapons.
There was no way these weapons belonged to him.
It was obvious.
What she really wanted to know was who had provided him with such fearsome weaponry—and what their true intentions were.
Nothing in this world came for free.
Whoever had given Lu Chen these weapons must have had an ulterior motive.
Chu Yuqin feared that he had unknowingly become entangled in a greater conspiracy.
She had only wanted him to go to Beijun and live out his days peacefully.
Hearing Chu Yuqin's question, Lu Chen froze.
He had just wanted to test his guns—he hadn't thought about how he would explain them.
He had just killed eighth and ninth-rank martial artists in an instant.
If word of this got out…
Lu Chen turned to face Chu Yuqin, his expression as innocent and bright as ever.
"Aunt Chu, what could I possibly be hiding from you?"
Seeing him try to play it off, Chu Yuqin sighed and pressed further, "Tell me the truth. Who gave you those weapons?"
Lu Chen feigned ignorance. "Weapons? What weapons?"
Chu Yuqin shot him a glare. "Do you take me for a blind woman?"
At that, Lu Chen reached into his robes and pulled out the black Desert Eagle pistol, removing the magazine.
"You mean this?"