Chapter 108: The Mad Blade of the Sea of Blood! Unrivaled in the World! (Please Subscribe)

Cheng Guang felt a profound sense of complexity. Qin Beifeng was a man of the former Great Chu, and Cheng Guang’s own predecessor had been the Crown Prince of that very dynasty. In a sense, they belonged to the same camp. Even though Cheng Guang cared little for the background of his predecessor, facing Qin Beifeng now left him feeling utterly bewildered. If Qin Beifeng knew that he was standing before the last Crown Prince of Great Chu, one could only wonder what he would think. Yet, Cheng Guang could not utter such a truth; even if he did, Qin Beifeng would never believe it. How could the esteemed heir of the Duke of Zhenguo be the Crown Prince of a fallen empire? Cheng Guang sighed in resignation.

Qin Beifeng’s expression was a mixture of laughter and tears. Perhaps he felt sorrow that his plans had been exposed, or perhaps he was suffering from the weight of his own years of forced endurance. He gripped Cheng Guang’s shoulders, his smile softening before he spoke: "Li Boixun, the heir is in my hands now. Do not hinder me any further. Even if I kill only him, I will not consider it a loss."

"If you stand aside and let my men open the city gates, perhaps this young heir might still have a chance at life."

Hearing this, Li Boixun first frowned slightly, then let out a scoffing laugh. "Old Qin, you underestimate the Duke. He has placed layers of protection around his heir; even a Celestial Being would struggle to harm him, let alone you."

"Besides, you know the importance of these gates better than I do. If they open and the demonic hordes pour into Zhenbei City, it will not just be the heir’s life at stake—the entire city will fall."

Qin Beifeng’s heroic face remained unchanged. He opened his mouth to retort, but suddenly felt a gaze of immense pressure descend upon him from above. He looked up toward the heavens, where the Duke of Zhenguo, Cheng Shiyuan, was locked in battle with two Demon Emperors.

Ever since Qin Beifeng had staged his defeat against the Fire Dragon Demon King, Duke Cheng Shiyuan had been keeping a close watch. Had the Demon Emperors not appeared to pin him down, he would have confronted Qin Beifeng himself. When Cheng Guang entered the tent, the Duke had sensed something amiss and, unable to leave the battle, ordered Li Boixun to oversee the situation. He feared for his grandson, knowing that despite his suspicions, Qin Beifeng was a Ninth-Rank Martial Emperor—a force beyond Cheng Guang’s ability to counter.

The Duke’s fears were confirmed. Qin Beifeng’s injuries had healed instantly, a feat of recovery that, while the Duke had not witnessed it firsthand, rivaled the "Endless Life" divine ability Cheng Guang had previously displayed. Had Cheng Guang not warned him that Qin Beifeng might be a traitor, the man would surely have succeeded in opening the gates and kidnapping the heir.

The Duke’s face darkened as he looked down at Qin Beifeng, then back at the two Demon Emperors. "Beifeng, have you colluded with the demons?"

As a guardian of the border, the Duke held nothing but contempt for the soulless demonic race and an even deeper hatred for those within his own ranks who turned traitor. He struggled to believe that Qin Beifeng was the mole in the Northern Expedition Army, or that he was one of the long-lost generals of the Great Chu. While the Duke could understand why someone might betray the army to avenge a fallen kingdom, he could not fathom why anyone would align with demons. If Zhenbei City fell and the demonic tide flooded the world, the consequences would reach far beyond himself, affecting countless human lives across the realm.

The Duke’s voice, though not loud, carried clearly to Qin Beifeng. Even while battling two Demon Emperors, his breathing remained steady, showing he was under no great strain.

Qin Beifeng looked up at the Duke and shook his head. "Duke, I have not colluded with them; I am merely using them. I am using them to wipe Zhenbei City off the map."

"Half of the people in the Great Zhou were once citizens of my Great Chu. I would not target them. Rest assured, once the city is leveled, I have my own ways to make the demons retreat."

His words sounded like the ravings of a madman. A mere Ninth-Rank Martial Emperor claiming he could command demons to retreat after the Duke’s death seemed impossible. Everyone listening assumed Qin Beifeng had lost his mind.

The Duke’s brow twitched. He looked down and spoke sternly, "Beifeng, I have treated you well over the years. The tragedy of the Great Chu was not my doing. If you turn back now, I will not hold you accountable. But if you persist and dare to harm my grandson, do not blame me for forgetting our old friendship!"

Qin Beifeng was unmoved. He smiled again. "Duke, focus on the two Demon Emperors. Usually, you could suppress me with a single hand, but now, your heart is willing, but your strength is failing."

Without waiting for a response, Qin Beifeng turned his gaze from the sky to Cheng Guang, then to Li Boixun. "Li Boixun, you have just finished a great battle; your energy must be depleted. There is no point in fighting me. If you seek death, then stand in my way."

With that, he dragged Cheng Guang toward the city gates. As he approached, he raised a hand, his essence gathering into a translucent, amber-colored palm that blotted out the sun, surging with terrifying power. He struck the gate. Had he used his subordinates to open it, the process would have been quieter, allowing him to hide his identity longer. But now that he was exposed, he chose to act himself.

On the walls, Li Boixun watched the display and took a deep breath. "Old Qin, your cultivation has advanced significantly. You are but a step away from becoming a Celestial Being. I must say, your acting when you lost to the Fire Dragon Demon King was truly clumsy."

Li Boixun shouted, his blood surging like a rainbow as he leaped into the air, throwing a punch that shook the void. The two collided with a thunderous roar. The air exploded and energy rippled outward. Caught between two peak-level experts, Cheng Guang felt his breath hitch. If not for the fact that both men were subconsciously avoiding him, he would have been crushed instantly. Cheng Guang gripped the steel ball formed by his "Monster-Transforming Armor," prepared to retreat into his shell at the first sign of danger.

The soldiers of the Northern Expedition Army watched in disbelief. Their two greatest generals were locked in combat, and the heir was in the hands of one of them. "What is happening?" they whispered, confused and horrified.

Above, the Duke of Zhenguo felt no anger, only a complex sorrow. He could forgive Qin Beifeng for seeking vengeance against him, but not for targeting Cheng Guang or endangering the innocent people behind the border. He took a deep breath, pushed the two Demon Emperors back with a single palm, and declared, "I have no more time to play with you. Let us end this quickly."

The Duke’s aura surged to a new level. A formless, overwhelming power rippled from him, turning the surrounding lesser demons into dust. The Ghost Spider Demon Emperor froze, his confident eyes replaced by despair. "You were still holding back!?"

Before they could flee, a loud crash echoed from the city wall below. A gate had collapsed. The Ghost Spider Demon Emperor grinned with delight. "The gate is down! Now we only need to stall this Duke!"

The Duke realized that Li Boixun had failed to stop Qin Beifeng. He felt a surge of regret for not acting on Cheng Guang’s warnings earlier. He immediately ordered his senior generals to descend and deal with Qin Beifeng, while he faced the demonic horde alone.

The Duke plunged into the sea of demons. A flash of white light tore through the sky, and blood began to rain. Below, the demonic army swarmed toward the breached gate. The remaining soldiers of the Northern Expedition Army, already exhausted, threw themselves into the breach, using their flesh and blood as a wall.

On the ramparts, Li Boixun leaned against the wall, panting. "Old Qin, it seems your skills are superior. I am no match for you."

Qin Beifeng looked at him coolly. "You were already in a weakened state. Do not be surprised. You killed many of my Chu generals; today, I kill you to settle the score."

As he moved to finish Li Boixun, he saw the senior generals of the Northern Expedition Army descending from the sky to confront him. The Duke was now fighting the demons alone. Qin Beifeng felt a rare spark of admiration for the Duke’s resolve. "Very well," he muttered, dropping Cheng Guang. "I was going to hunt you down one by one, but since you’ve come to me, it saves me the trouble."

He struck out with his golden, translucent palm, clashing with the generals. They were skilled, but Qin Beifeng’s power was near-Celestial. He easily repelled their attacks. The generals, realizing his strength, formed the "Four Symbols Battle Array," manifesting a ferocious tiger of energy.

The lead general swung his blade, a strike that shook the heavens. Qin Beifeng stood his ground, a golden phantom appearing behind him. With a shout of "Break!", the phantom erupted with golden light, its palm catching the blade strike in a cage of mystic runes.

Qin Beifeng was wounded by the backlash, but he remained calm. He realized he had underestimated the generals’ combined strength. Deciding to prioritize chaos, he turned his attention back to Cheng Guang. He wanted to kill the heir to break the Duke’s spirit.

He flashed toward Cheng Guang, ignoring the shouts of the generals behind him. He raised his hand to strike, expecting the noble heir to be terrified. Instead, Cheng Guang stood perfectly still, a faint smile on his lips.

As Qin Beifeng’s palm descended, a strange light flashed. Cheng Guang disappeared, replaced by a massive, armored iron-shell turtle. The strike landed on the shell and vanished, absorbed by an invisible force.

Qin Beifeng was stunned. "What is this!?"

The generals, too, were horrified to see their heir transform into a Ninth-Rank Demon King-level turtle. Qin Beifeng struck again and again, but the turtle remained unharmed, its expression almost mocking.

"You old fox," the turtle seemed to say.

Frustrated, Qin Beifeng tried to leap away, but the turtle’s heavy limbs shot out, pinning him in a crushing embrace. No matter how much essence Qin Beifeng unleashed, it was swallowed by the turtle’s defense.

The scene was absurd. The mighty general was being held fast by a turtle, his face turning a deep shade of purple from exertion. The generals stood by, dumbfounded, before bursting into quiet relief and laughter.

High above, the Duke had reached his limit. With a roar, he unleashed his "Blood Sea Mad Blade." The sky turned red. The two Demon Emperors, bleeding golden blood, fled in terror. "The gate is repaired! No chance of victory! Retreat!"

Dozens of Demon Kings fell from the sky, decapitated by the Duke’s single blade. The battle was over.

Qin Beifeng, still trapped in the iron-shell turtle’s grip, watched the heavens clear. His spirit broke. A mouthful of blood erupted from his lips, and his aura withered to nothingness. He had lost.