Chapter 177 - 176: The Celestial Humans Attack

Chapter 177: Chapter 176: The Celestial Humans Attack

Before Yun Liyue could even begin to cultivate, a chilling aura descended, enveloping the vast Sleeping Palace.

Yun Liyue’s expression tightened. She was instantly on alert. The aura felt somewhat familiar, as if she had encountered it before.

"Which senior has graced me with their presence?" her cold voice echoed in the Sleeping Palace.

A figure appeared silently in the Sleeping Palace. Clad in a dark daoist robe, her face was old and withered, but her eyes were sharp as a hawk’s as she stared indifferently at Yun Liyue.

The aura of a Super Grade Late Stage Celestial Human radiated from her, causing the very air in the vast Lizheng Hall to freeze.

"Yun Liyue, have you forgotten even me?" the old woman spoke coldly, glaring viciously at Yun Liyue with unconcealed hatred on her face.

Yun Liyue’s delicate brow furrowed. "So, it’s Elder Saint Heart. May I ask what brings you here?"

The top three elders of the Xuan Nu Palace were all Super Grade Level Celestial Humans. Elder Saint Heart was ranked second among them, a Super Grade Late Stage Celestial Human Elder and one of the pillars of the Xuan Nu Palace.

They had even sent Elder Saint Heart, the second-ranked elder. This showed just how seriously the Xuan Nu Palace was taking this matter.

"Do I really need to state my business?" Elder Saint Heart’s face was like ice as she snapped, "Yun Liyue, do you know your crimes?"

Yun Liyue’s expression remained calm. "You are mistaken, Elder Saint Heart. What crime am I supposed to have committed?"

"First, you and your master secretly kept our Xuan Nu Palace’s Supreme Secret Technique, the Sword Control Skill. Then you injured several elders of the palace. You even bewitched Elder Yuheng, tarnished the Xuan Nu Palace’s reputation with slander, and forged all sorts of evidence. And you still dare to feign ignorance of your crimes?" A cold light flickered in Elder Saint Heart’s eyes. Her Qi Blood surged around her, ready to strike at any moment.

Yun Liyue’s expression shifted slightly. "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a charge. Are you saying your own actions were fake? Besides, I am no longer a disciple of the Xuan Nu Palace. It’s rather ridiculous to try and bind me with its rules."

"How dare you, Yun Liyue!" Elder Saint Heart took a step forward, her Super Grade Late Stage pressure crashing down on Yun Liyue like a mountain. "I’ll give you two choices today. One: hand over the Sword Control Skill and publicly announce that everything you and your master did was fabricated. Two: I will personally take you back to the Xuan Nu Palace for trial. After a round of harsh torture, you will confess all your wrongdoings."

Resisting the immense pressure, Yun Liyue straightened her back. "You must be joking, Elder Saint Heart. The Sword Control Skill was something my master obtained from the outside world. What does it have to do with the Xuan Nu Palace? Besides, I don’t even have the Sword Control Skill here. As for the so-called slander, Elder Yuheng confessed in public. The evidence is conclusive, so how can you claim it was forged? The outside world has already confirmed that you were indeed responsible."

"Stubborn fool!" Elder Saint Heart roared, cutting Yun Liyue off. Her Qi Blood raged within her as she prepared to attack.

At that critical moment, several birds near the windows suddenly took flight in alarm, speeding towards Wenhua Hall.

These birds were spies that Xia Wuyang had specifically placed around Lizheng Hall. Having detected the disturbance, they were now preparing to spread the news.

Elder Saint Heart frowned. Noticing something strange about the birds, a cold glint flashed in her eyes, and several streaks of silver light shot out from her sleeve.

"WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH..."

A rain of silver needles instantly killed all the birds, but this action alerted even more birds in the vicinity. They scattered in all directions, and Elder Saint Heart couldn’t possibly kill them all.

Just as she stood there, stunned and hesitating whether to act, Yun Liyue cried out. With a flick of her fair hand, a flash of sword light shot out—it was the Sword Control Skill.

Faced with such a Supreme Secret Technique, Elder Saint Heart was forced to halt her pursuit of the scattering birds. A flicker of astonishment crossed her eyes. "So you really have mastered the Sword Control Skill. That old hag Qing Yin actually taught it to you. Since you insist on being foolish, don’t blame me for what comes next."

Effortlessly dodging the Sword Control Skill’s attack, Elder Saint Heart fully unleashed the terrifying aura of her Super Grade Late Stage power. The floorboards around her began to tremble slightly.

With the power of the Sword Control Skill, Yun Liyue could almost fight across a Grand Realm, but that only put her on par with a Super Grade Initial Stage Celestial Human. Against Elder Saint Heart—a powerhouse even among Super Grade Celestial Humans whose cultivation had reached the Super Grade Late Stage—she was still completely outmatched.

More streaks of silver light shot from her sleeve, aimed directly at Yun Liyue. Each streak was as fast as lightning and contained terrifying power, enough to easily grievously injure a First Grade Grandmaster.

Yun Liyue parried continuously with her longsword but was still forced back step by step. A pale shade appeared on her exquisite, jade-like face, a clear sign of immense exertion.

"A little interesting. To think you can withstand my Needle Technique just after advancing to the First Grade Realm. No wonder that old hag Qing Yin valued you so highly. But this is where it ends."

Elder Saint Heart held back no longer. She slowly raised her withered palm, a torrent of Qi Blood gathering in its center, pulsing with a terrifying energy.

The surging Qi Blood formed into a giant palm, pressing down on Yun Liyue with a destructive aura. Like Mount Tai crashing down, it sealed off all her escape routes.

In the face of such absolute power, Yun Liyue was utterly defenseless.

Yun Liyue realized this too. A flicker of despair crossed her beautiful eyes. She knew she could never withstand this strike.

Inside Wenhua Hall, Xia Wuyang had Su Ling’Er on his left and Hanik’s Heart on his right. Having just finished ’attending to’ them, he was about to embrace their delicate bodies and put on a good show of being a debauched Crown Prince.

Just then, he noticed the strange behavior of the birds outside—his hidden agents stationed throughout the Eastern Palace.

"This is bad, this is bad! A bad person has come to Lizheng Hall!"

"The Crown Prince Consort is in trouble! Elder Saint Heart is here!"

"So scary, so scary! A lot of our friends were killed!"

"Run! Quick, run and hide in Wenhua Hall!"

...

Xia Wuyang’s expression changed. Without a second thought, he immediately used the Soul Enchantment Technique, causing Su Ling’Er and Hanik’s Heart to fall asleep on the bed.

He then entered the Practice Room, put on a Disguise, and immediately sped towards Lizheng Hall.

In the two women’s minds, they had just shared an intimate and lingering moment with the elder Crown Prince, and then fell asleep from exhaustion, completely unaware that Xia Wuyang had already left to perform a rescue.

Activating the Escape Concealment Technique, he transformed into a nearly incorporeal shadow. In the span of just a few breaths, he had already passed through layers of palace walls and arrived at Lizheng Hall.

His Super Grade Celestial Human cultivation, combined with a High Level Spiritual Technique, brought both his speed and his Concealment abilities to an astonishing level. He moved without even stirring the wind.

The Imperial Palace was silent under the night sky, and no sound came from the direction of Lizheng Hall, a testament to the enemy’s control over their aura and power.

However, before his Mental Force Field, everything was laid bare. Nothing could escape his perception.