Chapter 474 - 456: Slaughter in the Rainy Night

"The moonlight’s a bit dim tonight. I can barely see the road."

A patrolling soldier rubbed his eyes, looking doubtfully at the pitch-black path stretching into the city district ahead.

He had a nagging feeling that some shadows were moving up ahead and wanted to go take a look.

He had only walked a few dozen yards from the riverbank when a cold glint of light shot out from the darkness ahead.

"PFFT!"

A Black Iron Arrow struck him squarely in the throat. He didn’t even have time to scream before he collapsed, lifeless.

"BOOM!"

In the sky above Black Stone City, the weather changed in the blink of an eye.

Dark clouds roiled and gathered in an instant, obscuring the sky. The already dark night over Black Stone City was plunged into a blackness so complete you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

"Someone’s here!"

A squad leader at the Flesh Refining Realm, whose Martial Artist’s intuition was sharp, instantly sensed the abnormality in the darkness and shouted a warning.

"CRACK-BOOM!"

As thunder rumbled once more, piercing screams and the sounds of battle erupted from the darkness.

"Agh, an enemy attack!"

"It’s the Black Lotus Sect! Call for reinforcements!"

Silent golden lightning illuminated the night sky, and in the brief flashes of light, dozens of bodies could be seen lying along both banks of the river.

"BANG!"

A red signal flare exploded in the night sky. The patrolling soldiers had finally found an opportunity to send for help.

...

At the same time, riots and attacks broke out in various parts of Black Stone City. In both the Inner City and the Outer City, it was as if countless members of the Black Lotus Sect had appeared out of nowhere, striking at key locations.

「Public Security Bureau.」

Pang Xuan slammed his hand on the table as he issued his orders.

"All of you, get to your respective districts immediately to maintain order! Kill the Black Lotus Sect Demons! We cannot allow a repeat of the chaos from last time!"

"Yes, Mansion Master!"

The Great Commanders, their expressions grim, moved out swiftly.

"Su Yu, the first signal came from the direction of the canal. The Black Lotus Sect’s target this time is very likely the canal itself! Not only must you secure the West City, but you must also defend the canal on its border! If anything happens to the canal, I will hold you personally responsible!"

Pang Xuan stared at Su Yu, giving him a direct, uncompromising order.

Su Yu’s expression did not change in the slightest. He cupped his fist and accepted the command. The West City and the canal were both his responsibility now; he would not shirk it.

However, Pang Xuan’s words made him frown slightly.

’If I don’t handle this properly, is he planning to make an example of me?’

The West City was his territory to begin with, which was fair enough. But the matter of the canal was something Pang Xuan had specifically assigned to him.

Dredging the canal was a huge responsibility with very few benefits. The other Great Commanders had all found excuses to avoid it, so it ended up falling to him, the only one who didn’t refuse.

’If Pang Xuan is planning to use me to shift the blame...’

Su Yu quickly suppressed these thoughts. The most urgent task was to fend off the Black Lotus Sect’s attack. Everything else could wait.

...

"Lin Wanzhu, Cui Wanhe, Feng Ting... Suppress the West City with all your might and annihilate the Black Lotus Sect! Anyone who uses this opportunity to cause trouble will be charged with the same crime as the Black Lotus Sect Demons—kill them without mercy!"

Su Yu showed no mercy. At this point, only a forceful suppression would work.

"Ding Mianyue, take a squad of elite Flying Feather Guards and follow me to reinforce the canal!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Su Yu swiftly issued his commands, made his arrangements, and then rushed straight for the canal.

Fortunately, the formation of the Flying Feather Guards was mostly complete, and he now had enough men under his command to handle a situation like this.

With his senior sister and the others in the West City, there shouldn’t be any major trouble.

The key to tonight’s battle was the canal!

"I’m going on ahead! Follow and reinforce as quickly as you can!"

In the stormy night, Su Yu activated his Celestial Thunder Step. He moved even faster than usual, vanishing into the distance like a true bolt of lightning.

Behind him, Ding Mianyue, clad in red battle attire, had a grim and murderous expression.

Witnessing Su Yu’s terrifying, astonishing speed, her admiration for him grew even deeper.

’I can’t even fathom Big Brother’s strength anymore. Just based on this speed, he might even be on par with Father, an expert at the Profound Bone Realm.’

...

Near the Hanging Mirror Gate, figures from two sides were locked in a deadly battle.

The Black Lotus Sect cultists attacked with ferocious momentum, fearless of death, shouting, "Merciful Old Mother, grant us eternal life!" as they continuously charged the soldiers on the riverbank.

A Black Lotus Sect expert, built as burly as a bear, possessed an astonishing aura. With every step he took, the ground cracked and rainwater splashed everywhere.

He walked step by step toward the Hanging Mirror Gate, clearly intending to do something to it.

"Stop him!"

A captain of the Security Guards at the Flesh Refining Realm gritted his teeth, pounced like a tiger, and swung his long saber, which glinted coldly, down toward the burly man’s head.

The man, however, didn’t even spare him a glance, simply throwing a punch to the side.

"BANG!"

The punch flew like a dragon. A large swath of rain instantly froze in place, and his violent Qi and Blood even vaporized the water in an instant. With a roar from the white shockwave, the Flesh Refining Realm captain was sent flying backward, saber and all.

His body crashed into a distant alley like a broken sack, landing with a heavy thud.

"A Muscle Forging Realm expert! Retreat, quickly!"

The nearby soldiers hastily fell back. A cruel, savage grin appeared on the burly man’s lips as he continued toward the Hanging Mirror Gate.

Just as the situation was becoming critical, a woman’s voice pierced the curtain of rain.

"Demon, prepare to die!"

Out of the darkness, Liu Wu, dressed in purple, sped over from the distance, her aura as powerful as a rainbow.

Her long, pale legs flashed in the rainy night. Her feet seemed to step on the air itself, generating force from nothing as she rapidly charged in front of the Hanging Mirror Gate.

Seeing this, the burly man’s heart stirred.

’She’s finally here!’

’But it’s too late!’

"Demon, get back!"

Liu Wu, casting aside her usual playful demeanor, had a serious expression on her pretty face, her beautiful eyes filled with killing intent.

Her figure was like a flash of lightning, instantly closing the distance to her enemy. She swung her long saber down with such speed that it was impossible to react.

’So fast!’

The burly man was also shocked. With a furious roar, the clothes on his upper body exploded into pieces, revealing muscles as hard as granite.

He didn’t dodge. Faced with such astonishing speed, dodging would only mean losing the initiative. The Great Tendons in his body roared as he threw a punch.

"BOOM!"

The powerful fist blasted out a white shockwave, sweeping up a large curtain of rain and blocking Liu Wu’s equally stunning slash.

"Middle Dragon Tendon?"

Liu Wu’s pretty face fell. The man’s strength was at the Middle Dragon Tendon level; he clearly knew her own strength and had come specifically to target her.

The two quickly began to fight, exchanging over a hundred blows in the blink of an eye.

Although Liu Wu was powerful, the Black Lotus Sect Demon she faced was also shockingly strong. He was clearly a genius on the verge of breaking through to the Dragon Tendon Realm!

What made it more difficult for her was that the man cultivated Hard Skills, focusing on the path of pure strength. His style also focused on augmenting his physical defense, which was a clear counter to her own.

Even though she landed several slashes on his body, they didn’t cause much damage.

If they continued fighting like this, a victor wouldn’t be decided anytime soon.

"Haha, little wench, you can’t break my defense. If you keep wasting time with me, you’re all finished!"

"I’ll tell you the truth—I already know all about your deployments. Right now, another Middle Dragon Tendon expert has gone downstream! That Commander downstream has probably already been killed by my companion!"

Hearing the burly man’s wild laughter, Liu Wu’s pretty face grew even darker.

’That kid Su Yu will be alright, won’t he? If a Middle Dragon Tendon expert really went after him, he definitely won’t be able to hold out.’

’If the downstream channel can’t be defended, the newly built fortifications will probably be completely destroyed. The grand plan for the Celestial Realm River to connect the Inner and Outer Cities will be impossible to complete!’

’No, I have to turn the tide. I can’t let anything happen to that kid!’

’Whether it’s for the sake of the canal project or because he’s the pretty boy that Chen Ling has her eye on, I have to help him!’

Liu Wu’s long legs suddenly tensed. Her Great Tendons, which held a faint, jade-white luster, vibrated, instantly increasing her speed by another thirty percent!

Her figure blurred into a series of dazzling afterimages as she attacked the enemy from several directions at once.

"PFFT! PFFT! PFFT..."

Crimson blood splattered continuously as the man’s defenses were gradually broken!

...

「A short while earlier.」

Downstream on the canal.

This was the area guarded by Su Yu’s Flying Feather Guards. At this moment, the Flying Feather Guards were also fighting against the ambushing Black Lotus Sect Demons.

The strength of the Flying Feather Guards was clearly a level below that of the Black Lotus Sect Demons, and they were currently being pushed back steadily.

What was even more suffocating for the Flying Feather Guards was the cloaked Demon leading the Black Lotus Sect.

His strength was clearly terrifying. He didn’t even need to act; his horrifying aura alone was enough to suppress the Flying Feather Guards and keep them from advancing.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, Su Yu’s figure arrived just in time.

He continuously threw Flying Locust Stones from his hand. They pierced the rain like bullets, WHIZZING as they accurately struck the heads of the charging Black Lotus Sect cultists.

One by one, the Demons screamed and fell to the ground, the red and white filth from their shattered skulls washing away in the rain toward the canal below.

"What a fine hidden weapon technique. Kid, you must be Su Yu, then?"

The man ripped off his black cloak, revealing a gaunt, pale body, and let the rain beat down on him.

He allowed Su Yu to continue attacking, killing more Black Lotus Sect cultists and turning the tide of the battle, clearly unconcerned about the lives of his subordinates.

However, his gaze remained locked on Su Yu, observing him carefully.

The next moment, a smile appeared on his pale face. "Kid, I’ve seen through your strength. The Qi and Blood and Great Tendons of the Jiao Tendon Realm!"

"Hahahaha! To think such meager strength made that Feng Han cower like a dog! What a waste! It just goes to show what kind of pathetic protector the Merciful Saintess has."

He let out a wild laugh and walked toward Su Yu step by step, clearly convinced that victory was in his grasp.