Chapter 77: Do You Want to Trade Lives?

“Hahaha, wild, truly wild beyond all bounds! I like it!” After a brief flash of anger and shock, Yu Hong burst into loud laughter.

Summer Jiu Xuan’s sword was still dripping blood as he lifted it, pointing the blade at Yu Hong. “Your fate will be the same.”

“Insolence!”

“Arrogance!”

“Kneel!”

Over a hundred imperial guards of the capital surged forward, their auras bearing down on Summer Jiu Xuan with thunderous shouts. These guards had all been recruited by the imperial family from reclusive sects; each one’s cultivation was around the fifth level of the Mortal Transcendence Realm. Only the Immortal Martial Imperial Clan possessed such power and deep foundations.

Beyond these hundred imperial guards, Summer Jiu Xuan could vaguely sense two pinnacle experts at the ninth level of Mortal Transcendence lurking in the shadows. He knew these two were Yu Hong the Crown Prince’s protectors.

Such a formidable force—at his current level, Summer Jiu Xuan had no chance of resistance. Unless he completely burned his soul, trading his life for theirs, severing all ties with the world!

Judging by the present situation, Summer Jiu Xuan would inevitably be forced down this path today.

Thunderous pressure crashed down, unceasing, trying to force Summer Jiu Xuan to his knees.

His gaze was icy cold, shrouded in darkness.

A bestial roar erupted!

Explosive flames of blood burst from Summer Jiu Xuan. The Demonic Blood Art ignited, detonating eighteen consecutive layers! This was the utmost limit to which he had cultivated the Blood Fury Nine Lives Technique at his current level.

In that moment, he seemed the reincarnation of an ancient demon king.

The spine bent under oppressive force slowly straightened, until he stood tall and unyielding.

“Kneel!” the hundred guards shouted again, their combined pressure converging.

“Out of my way!” Blood light flared violently from Summer Jiu Xuan, and he broke through the pressure, charging straight ahead.

Strike!

He unleashed the fourth stage of the Departed Flame Sword Art, terrifying sword-shadows of blazing fire sweeping out from every direction.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Those sword-shadows crashed against the imperial guards, forcing even them to defend themselves.

The opportunity arrived!

None of the hundred guards had expected Summer Jiu Xuan to explode with such power; by the time they shattered the sword-shadows, he had already charged toward Yu Hong.

“Your Highness!”

“Protect the prince, quickly!”

The imperial guards fell into chaos.

But Yu Hong only snorted coldly, showing no sign of retreat.

Like a sword heated to incandescence, Summer Jiu Xuan closed in for the kill.

“Guardian Soul!” Yu Hong murmured lightly as the blade neared, and a gigantic apparition suspended itself behind him.

It was a Guardian Soul, a manifestation attainable only beyond the Saintly Realm!

A spiritual will, fused to Yu Hong, its protection lending him utter confidence.

“Die.” The apparition intoned coldly, awe-inspiring in the eyes of the crowd.

But to Summer Jiu Xuan, it was less than an insect.

The manifestation’s palm descended. It couldn’t touch Summer Jiu Xuan’s body but could strike at his very soul.

“Insect—perish!” Summer Jiu Xuan raised his eyes, blood surging within their depths.

A figure clad in blood-red war armor, wielding a blood-red war sword, appeared behind him.

The apparition behind Yu Hong began to fracture the instant the slaughtering shade emerged.

Crack—crack—crack!

Thunder raged, golden fragments scattered; the apparition was instantly annihilated!

Far away, across the veil of space, in an ancient sect, an elder’s eyes flew wide open, blood spraying from his lips as terror seized him utterly.

“What!”

“His Highness’s Guardian Soul has shattered!”

“That boy… that boy has a Guardian Soul too!”

“What level of Guardian Soul is that? It’s terrifying!”

Hidden in the shadows, the two peak Mortal Transcendence protectors trembled at the sight, nearly dropping to their knees.

Spurt!

A single glance was all it took; both protectors coughed blood violently, nearly dying on the spot.

“How can this be!” Yu Hong, at the center of it all, was stunned senseless, his voice breaking with instinctive terror.

A sword pierced through Yu Hong’s shoulder.

Summer Jiu Xuan’s killing intent now flooded his very soul, bordering on madness. One downward stroke would cleave Yu Hong in two, ending his life then and there.

But to do so meant burning his soul to the end, slaughtering the heavens, and closing the book on this life…

“Kill!” Just a breath’s hesitation, and Summer Jiu Xuan’s murderous impulse was beyond control, rationality lost.

“Wuu… Uncle!” Suddenly, the wailing cry of a child pierced his senses.

“Boy, stop! Otherwise, the girl dies!”

“Wuu, don’t hurt my uncle, bad man…”

Xia Ran struggled fiercely, sinking her teeth into the hand of the old man holding her.

But she was only at the eighth innate realm—she couldn’t hurt him at all.

The sight of little Ran biting the old man’s hand, her eyes brimming with tears she dared not shed, fell into Summer Jiu Xuan’s cold gaze.

In that instant, the killing intent collapsed like a glacier, receding like the tide.

The slaughtering specter vanished, reason returned, and the sword did not fall.

Instead, he drew the black broken sword and pressed it to Yu Hong’s throat.

For nothing else—for Xia Ran.

As long as she could still be saved, he could not die. This was Summer Jiu Xuan’s deepest conviction.

“Boy, release the prince immediately or I’ll kill the girl!” The ninth-level expert’s hand was clamped atop Xia Ran’s head.

“Summer Jiu Xuan, you can’t escape! If you kill me, you will die without a doubt!” Yu Hong, refusing to beg for mercy, gritted out between agonized breaths.

Slash!

Summer Jiu Xuan pierced Yu Hong’s left shoulder with a single thrust, the blade going clean through.

“Aaah!” Yu Hong screamed in pain.

“Go ahead, kill me! I know you don’t fear death. But think of your little niece—she’s so young. If you die, aren’t you afraid she’ll be tormented for a lifetime?” Yu Hong continued to threaten him.

Summer Jiu Xuan looked at the tender face, at the girl biting her lip to hold back tears, silent sobs streaming down.

His killing intent faded further.

Indeed, Summer Jiu Xuan did not fear death—but he feared Xia Ran would suffer a fate worse than death.

“Fine. We’ll exchange.”

He forced himself to calm completely.

“Release the prince first, then we’ll talk,” the old man said, glaring fiercely at Summer Jiu Xuan.

“Release your mother!” Summer Jiu Xuan snarled, thrusting his sword through Yu Hong’s right shoulder.

With a jerk, he sliced off one of Yu Hong’s ears.

Yu Hong was now half-dead; another moment and he would bleed out, his soul departing for the underworld.

“One more word, and I’ll change my mind!” Summer Jiu Xuan roared.

“Don’t be rash! I’ll do it—I’ll do it!” The old man, finally cowed, shoved Xia Ran toward him.

Summer Jiu Xuan reached out, gathering her into his arms.

He had won this round.

“I’ve released your niece. Now let the prince go!” the old man shouted, while the hundred imperial guards bristled, ready to move.

“Release him? Do you take me for a fool?” At this point, Summer Jiu Xuan refused to back down. The moment he let go of Yu Hong, he would be torn to shreds.

“Boy, you’re nearly out of time!” The old man’s voice was grim; he already sensed the approach of a powerful spellcaster.

Once the spellcaster arrived and used magic to restrain Summer Jiu Xuan, there would be no chance to act.

Summer Jiu Xuan sensed it too.

A formidable mage had already arrived above.

A low hum trembled the air.

“Not good!” Summer Jiu Xuan felt a spell descending. Without hesitation, he raised his sword to slash at Yu Hong’s head.

It seemed there was still no path to retreat—he would kill his way through, to the bitter end!

But as the blade fell, it met only empty air.

Yu Hong’s figure vanished before him.

“Art of Distant Transposition!”

Summer Jiu Xuan’s heart sank. Looking up, he saw Yu Hong’s form beside a middle-aged man.

The man had activated a shield of magical power, protecting Yu Hong completely.

“Wretch, let’s see what else you can do! Seize him—tear him to pieces!” Yu Hong ordered, and the hundred guards of the fifth level of Mortal Transcendence charged madly at Summer Jiu Xuan.